


The Best People

by SophieHatter



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, Anal Fingering, Animal Death, Cake, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cunnilingus, Dirty Talk, Dogs, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forced Orgasm, Hair-pulling, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Love Confessions, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Miscarriage, Nerdiness, Oral Sex, Orgasm Control, Outdoor Sex, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Rape/Non-con, Power Play, Romance, Shower Sex, Table Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Veterinary Clinic, referenced stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-04 23:27:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 48,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15851601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieHatter/pseuds/SophieHatter
Summary: What do you do when your dad wants you to join the Airforce and become a career scientist? Become a vet, of course.In Colorado Springs, Dr Sam has established a veterinary hospital providing 24/7 care for all kinds of animals. She loves her work and is proud of the clinic, but round the clock work has taken a toll on her private life.When the handsome, silver haired Jack and his dog Sally come into her clinic one evening, a special connection with her past leads Sam to take a chance on the divorced engineer.Both have pasts that should have them shying away from love, but an inexplicable connection draws them together.Unapologetic romance. With puppies. <3





	1. When Sam Met Sally

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/33259455@N03/45947369934/in/photostream/)

“Sally O’Neill?” Sam looked around the waiting room.

Thursday nights were always the busiest with five vets scheduled on. The waiting room was filled with dogs on leads, cats in carriers and even a cockatoo that was flying from shoulder to shoulder, charming the staff and waiting humans.

“Sally,” she checked the chart in her hand, “and Jack O’Neill?”

“Uh, us.” A tall man with salt and pepper hair started towards her, murmuring to the Australian Shepherd on his lead, “C’mon Sally, good girl.”

Sam gave him a smile as she turned to lead him to her consulting room, “This way.” Shutting the door behind them, she held out her hand, “I’m Sam.”

Reaching out to shake, he introduced himself, “Jack.” Long, calloused fingers grasped her hand and she admired his deep brown eyes, even if there was apprehension in them.

Kneeling down and holding her hand out so that the Sally could sniff her, she smiled as the dog whuffled over her knuckles. “You must be Sally.” She held her position for a few more moments, before rubbing Sally’s ears. Her tail wagged, just a little.

There was surprise in Jack’s voice. “She hates vets, but she likes you.”

“I like you, too, Sally.” Sam motioned for him to lift Sally up onto the exam table. “Unfortunately, that probably won’t last long. What can I do for her, tonight?”

“She, umm, she has a lump, here,” feeling through her fur, he found the spot. Sam ran her fingers gently between his, her other hand rubbing at Sally’s ear to soothe her.

Sam pressed carefully on the lump, feeling its size and shape as Jack pulled his hand away. “Is it hurting her?” She asked.

“No, not particularly. I found it when I was grooming her. Last week.” The admission was tinged with guilt and Sam instinctively wanted to reassure him.

“So not long, then.” Rubbing Sally’s ears, Sam murmured that she was a good girl and she was doing well, before fetching a thermometer. “Would you mind holding her still?” She directed Jack, who did just that. Taking Sally’s vitals, she asked Jack more questions.

“Eating well? Mood? Sleep? Weight loss or gain? Exercise?” He had short, knowledgeable answers for each of her questions and, once Sam was done with vitals, she paused to make notes on Sally’s file.

“So,” she paused, running her hand along the dog’s head, finding the soft spot behind Sally’s right ear that she especially loved being rubbed. “Sally’s eight, which is a good age. Her health seems to be within the normal range for a dog of eight. You’re doing well, aren’t you Sally?” Sally gave Sam’s nose a tentative lick.

The opening preamble did little to put Jack at ease. “But the lump?”

This was the hardest part of being a vet: humans. “I don’t want you to worry at this stage. It’s most likely a benign tumour or a cyst. That’s not unusual in late middle-aged dogs.” Sam eyed Jack carefully. Benign or not, most owners found the idea of cancer scary.

“So what do we do?” He asked, stroking Sally’s back, a slight tremble in his hand.

Reaching in her pocket for a dog treat, she gave it to the eager Sally. “We could do a biopsy and blood work and then make a decision about removing the tumour based on what we find out. Or we could go ahead and remove the tumour and have it analysed.”

“What, how, do I decide?”

“I would recommend the removal. The mass seems contained, it should be a clean surgery, and she’ll be under just a little longer than for a biopsy. And although it’s not a high risk, she’ll only have to have one general anaesthetic, which I prefer for all my patients.” Clicking her tongue at Sally to get her attention, Sam pulled on her muzzle gently and checked her teeth, giving Jack time to think.

“Ok,” he said tentatively, “Let’s just get it out. Right, Sally? That’s what Sam says is best.” Leaning down, his face close to hers, Sally laid reassuring licks on Jack’s cheeks.

More anxious for her human than herself. Sam reflected, for the thousandth time, that dogs were some of the best people there were.

Taking a moment to scroll through the surgery calendar, Sam found a slot and turned back to Jack and Sally, “I could do the surgery tomorrow. You could pick her up in the evening as long as you can keep her quiet at home. Kids?” She asked.

“No, just Sally and me,” he replied. “Tomorrow ...”

“Then you shouldn’t have a problem. I can give you some time to think about it. You’re welcome to wait here until you decide or go home and give us a call.” Pulling another treat from her pocket, she offered it to Sally. It immediately disappeared and her tail really got to wagging.

Jack looked from Sally to Sam. Sally seemed to like this vet and Sam seemed to genuinely like his dog. What was there to decide, really. “Ok. Let’s do it tomorrow. Do I bring her back in the morning?”

“She can stay here overnight, if you like, or she would need to check in when we open for admits at 6.30.”

“Oh, well. I guess leaving her here would make sense, then,” Jack conceded, uncertain.

“Yay! Sleepover!” Sam exclaimed and Sally gave a happy bark in response to her enthusiasm, making the blonde vet laugh. “Here,” she gave Sally another treat, “Don’t tell your dad.” She winked at Jack.

Surprised to find himself feeling more and more at ease, Jack smiled back. Sam liked it when his smile reached his eyes.

“Would you like me to call you when she wakes up?” Sam, Sally’s new bestie, wondered.

“Oh. Yes, please. I’ll be at work, I’ll give you my company cell.”

Sam noted it in the computer. “What do you do?”

“I’m a transmissions engineer with Colorado Springs Utilities. Sally goes out with me on most jobs.”

Working over the words transmissions and utilities in her head, Sam smiled as she placed the terms, “So, electricity?”

“That’s it.” He sighed as he rubbed his fingers in Sally’s fur. “I’ll miss you tomorrow, Sal.”

Sam gave him a private moment, stepping out into the hall. Looking around for a navy clad vet nurse, she spotted an unmistakable figure. “T? You free for a few minutes? Need you to take a patient back, she’s admitting for surgery, tomorrow.”

Despite his huge size, Teal’c was her favourite of the vet nurses. He was wonderful with all kinds of animals. They just seemed to be enchanted by his gentle nature and deep voice.

“Sure, I got a few minutes.” He followed her back into the exam room, filling the doorway behind her. “Hello,” he nodded to Jack, who had his arm over Sally’s shoulders.

“Jack, this is T, he’s going to take Sally back for us. T, Jack and the lovely Sally.”

“Hello, beautiful girl,” T rumbled sweetly at the dog on the table. He crouched down so their faces were level and let her sniff at his bald head. Once she got the scent of him, he rubbed her ears, standing slowly. “She’s got a lead?” He asked her human.

“Yeah,” Jack handed him her red lead. It was well worn: they had done a lot together with it.

T clipped it to her collar and then wrapped his arms around the dog, “Here we go, Sally,” and he lifted her down. “You wanna come with me and make some friends?” Sally wagged her tail, then looked at Jack.

“Good girl, you go and have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jack hesitated and then crouched down, knees cracking, to wrap his arms around her neck and kiss her good bye.

The motion made Sam smile. She liked any person who loved their pets enough to do soppy things in front of others.

T opened the door and encouraged Sally along, praising her as she trotted beside him. Jack watched them disappear and turned back to Sam.

“She’s in good hands,” Sam reassured him. Something in his vulnerable look tugged at her and she reached over to squeeze his forearm. “There’s a really good chance that there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll call you tomorrow, sometime before 12.”

Jack let his breath out slowly. “Right. Well, thanks. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Jack. Nice meeting you.”

“You too, Dr Sam.”

As he left, Sam felt a surge of warmth. Single guy, cute dog. Cute guy, single dog. She liked them both.

 _Damnit_ , she admonished herself, ogling his ass as he pushed open the door. She really needed a good drink or, preferably, to get laid. It had been far, far too long if she was beginning to think the human clients were adorable.


	2. Sally & Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think Sally has an admirer,” she told Jack. “She and T hit it off big time.”

**Sally & Me**

All morning, Jack kept glancing over at the passenger seat and being surprised that Sally wasn’t there. He found himself checking the time constantly and the morning dragged. Around 10, he worried that his phone wasn’t working and sheepishly dialled his home number to hear his answering machine to be sure.

Urging himself to stop mooching, Jack spread his current project’s set of specs and plans on the bonnet of the truck, making notes from the morning’s survey. Once done, he snapped a few reference photos, then packed everything up to move on to the next site.

Reaching his destination, Jack had just turned off the engine when his cell rang. The clinic number showed on the caller ID and his heart stuttered. Licking suddenly dry lips, Jack checked the time. 11.40 am. So probably not bad news, then. He steadied himself as he answered the call.

“CSU, Jack O’Neill.”

“Morning Jack. This is Dr Sam Carter calling about Sally. How are you?”

Jack pictured the vet he had met the night before: blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, easy smile and crystal blue eyes. Her voice reminded him of her easy manner and rapport with Sally and he felt more at ease.

“Hi Sam. I’m glad to hear your voice,” he made a grimace at the awkward phrasing. “Tell me how Sally is doing.”

“Really well. I was pleased with how the surgery went and she woke up about 20 minutes ago and seems comfortable.”

Jack let out a sigh, realising he had been holding his breath. Rubbing at his forehead, he asked, “Do we know anything more about the, umm, lump?” He couldn’t bring himself to say tumour.

“Well, it was as good as it could be. I was able to remove it completely and the position was well away from anything vital. With that, I would expect it to heal well.”

“Oh, good. And, do you think ...”

Sam saved him from having to specify. “I won’t have the lab results back until Tuesday, but, in my experience, this tumour looks benign and I wouldn’t expect a recurrence.”

“Thank you.” The relief in his voice was palpable. “She can go home tonight?”

“Sure can,” Sam replied. “How’s 5.15 to pick her up?”

“I’ll be there. Should I get her anything, uh, special?” Jack couldn’t remember the protocol for post-surgery. The last time had been nearly eight years ago, when Sally had been spayed.

“We’ll send you home with everything she needs, Jack. Don’t worry. We’ll see you at 5.15?”

“Will do. Thanks, Sam.”

“You’re very welcome.

 

* * *

 

At 5.00 pm, Jack was sitting in the parking lot outside the clinic. It hadn’t been worth the time to go home, so he was still in his work slacks and company shirt with its reflective flashing. Wondering if he would look like a paranoid pet owner if he went in early, Jack drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and watched the other owners walk their pets in.

With a mental nudge to stop double guessing himself, Jack swung out of his truck and pushed the door to the vestibule open. Checking in, he saw that the clinic was quieter than the night before.

He settled down to wait, eyes running over the bulletin board displaying pictures of the various staff and their pets. Finding Sam’s name, he saw her with a black dog, maybe a spaniel, smiling. She looked different than he remembered and then he realised that she had much shorter hair in the photo. So from a while ago, then.

“Jack. Good to see you.”

In front of him, smiling and her eyes sparkling, was the woman he’d just been looking at. He thought that she looked a little older in person, too. Age and the longer hair looked good on her and he found himself wondering if she was married.

With a cough to cover his thoughts, he got to his feet. “Hi. How’s your day been?”

Turning, she began walking towards a consult room. With a glance to make sure he was following, she replied, “A good one, thank you. And you?”

Despite the standard reply, Jack got the impression that she was answering honestly. He wondered what a bad day might be like for her. Lots of loss, he supposed. “I missed Sal,” he said, more honest than he had expected.

“You guys do a lot together?” She shut the door behind him.

“Never apart, really.” He shrugged, “Sad life of a bachelor, I guess. I’m lucky to have her.”

“You are,” Sam agreed, “She’s a sweetheart. Everyone’s been fussing over her.

“Oh, good. How’s she doing now?”

Sam spent a few moments pulling up Sally’s chart. “Looking great. I think she’ll make a good recovery. If she’s doing well over the weekend, you can probably take her to work on Monday. But, you’ll need to stop her from jumping about until the stitches come out. So help her on and off the couch, lift her into your car, no crazy ball games, or things like that.”

Jack nodded and grinned, “She’s going to hate me for that.”

Chuckling, Sam reached for a large plastic bag with _Sally O’Neill_ on the outside and emptied its contents out onto the exam table.

They spent the next few minutes going over post-surgery care, the painkillers she could have over the weekend and how to ease her back into drinking and eating now that she had been 24 hours without food.

Last of all, she grabbed a business card and circled the after hours number on it. “If you have any concerns outside of our opening hours, call our answering service. One of the vet nurses or the on-call vet will ring you back straight away.” Sam glanced up as Jack nodded.

On impulse, she flipped the card over and scribbled a number on the back. “Or you could give me a call. Anytime.”

Jack wondered at the way she smiled as she handed him the card, brushing her fingers against his. Wonder became a hunch as she shyly ducked her head. Pity, he’d love to see more of that smile. He slid the card into his shirt pocket and gave it a pat, feeling it against his chest.

Turning, Sam punched in an extension on the internal phone and Jack noticed that her wedding ring finger was bare. He was still pondering that, and the hand written number in his pocket, when he heard a bark and the answering tone of the large nurse he had met last night.

Sam opened the door and Sally, straining at her leash and wielding a lampshade collar, burst into the room. T looked unfazed by her craziness and handed him her leash.

“Lovely dog,” he told Jack, and then bent down to Sally. “See you, gorgeous.”

Sally, who had jumped on Jack as soon as seeing him, turned at the sound of T’s voice. The lampshade collar weaponised her head and she buffeted T with it, trying to lick his face.

“Steady, girl,” the nurse told her, “Sit.” Sally’s rear twitched as she settled into a sit. “There now,” T gentled her, rubbing at her ears. “See you next time.” He let her lick his cheek. Rising, he gave Sam and Jack a nod and left. Sam found herself grinning.

“I think Sally has an admirer,” she told Jack. “She and T hit it off big time.”

“I can’t believe it, she’s always hated going to the vet. Usually I drag her in with her tail between her legs.”

“Animals have a great way of sensing things,” Sam shared. “I trust their judgement every time.”

Jack and Sally made their goodbyes and Sally wiggled her way to the exit. Sam’s laughter at her antics followed Jack as they left. He lifted Sally into the car, clipping her in, and then tapped his breast pocket as he walked around to the driver’s door.

Animals did have a great way of sensing things, Jack pondered. Sally liked Dr Sam and he agreed with her. Dr Sam was very likeable, indeed.


	3. Two Tuesdays

**Two Tuesdays**

Carrying the microwave dinner to her desk, Sam pulled up her messages as it cooled. The long list of lab results, requests for patient refills and call backs reminded her that she hadn’t sat at her desk since early morning. While she ate, she weeded out things that didn’t need her further attention.

Done eating, she started at the top of the list of things that she did need to do something about and saw the subject line - _Lab results: Sally O’Neill_.

Sally and her gentleman owner came to mind and Sam checked the time as she dialled Jack’s home number. Still early evening.

“Jack,” he answered without any flourishes.

“Hi Jack, this is Dr Sam Carter calling with Sally’s lab results.”

“Dr Sam.” There was a smile in his voice and Sam found herself smiling back. “Thanks for calling.”

“How’s Sally?”

“She’s been doing great, just like you said.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. I’m calling with good news about Sally’s results.”

Jack straightened, realising his shoulders had tightened when he’d seen the number. “Oh, good.”

“It’s a benign tumour, as we suspected, so Sally has nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you, very much.” There was a discernible tremor of relief in his voice.

“She can come back early next week to have her stitches removed. I can make an appointment for that, if you like?”

They went back and forth, making an appointment for after work on Tuesday. Jack found himself reluctant to end the call.

“Thanks again. Uh, had a good day?”

The tension of half an hour ago came flooding back. Normally she would pack it away when talking to clients, but tonight she was just so tired. “No, not really. It’s been rough.”

“Oh.” He sounded lost as for what to reply. Sam admonished herself for her slip and readied herself to wind the call up when Jack spoke again, his voice gentle. “You want to tell me about it?”

She did, she very much did. With no one at home to unpack her day with, she usually wandered down to the nurses’ station or stopped by Janet’s office when she needed to go over the day. Without thinking too much about it, she decided to sound out Jack. She had given him her personal number, after all.

“We had two car accidents come in today. One was rough, but she’ll be alright. Another was a stray, brought in by someone who was passing. He was really badly hurt and had been lying by the road awhile. Would have been a hard case to save, anyway. But without an owner and low survivability, we decided to euthanise.” Sam leant her forehead on her hand, harshly rubbing at her skin.

“I’m sorry, Sam.” He sounded like he genuinely was. “He must’ve been happy to have you looking after his last hours, easing his pain.”

Sam paused, letting her head rest for a couple of heartbeats. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat, trying to rid her voice of its quaver. “It helps to be reminded of that.”

“Better to pass on while being loved than cold and lonely, on the side of the road. That’s what I’d want for Sally.”

“Yeah,” she agreed huskily. “Thanks, Jack.”

“Hey, anytime.”

“So next Tuesday, stitches out.”

“We’ll see you then.”

“Bye Jack. Scritch Sally, for me.”

“Will do. See ya, Sam.”

Sam allowed herself a few moments to take comfort from Jack’s words. Then it was on to the next patient calls. 6.45 pm. She was going to be here late.

 

* * *

 

When Jack brought Sally in, the following Tuesday, he was surprised that T was the one who took them into an exam room. Sally was quite happy with this arrangement, giving the big man’s hand enthusiastic licks and dancing around him before he picked her up on to the table.

“T, right?” Jack wondered. When the nurse inclined his head, Jack followed up with, “Uh, we’re not seeing Dr S- Carter, today?” He used her last name, hoping it wouldn’t make him seem too interested in her whereabouts.

Gloving up, T rubbed Sally’s ears before getting her to stand so he could inspect her sutures. “No,” he replied. “The nurses usually remove stitches. Don’t be concerned. If I see anything to be worried about, I shall ask her to look at it.”

“Ahh, of course.” Jack focused on distracting Sally while T removed her stitches.

He couldn’t complain, Sally liked the vet nurse and he seemed to be giving her the appropriate attention, checking the surgery site thoroughly. If Jack thought about it, he might say that he had been looking forward to seeing Sam today. Maybe she would’ve given him that cute little smile, again.

“She has been well?” T asked him.

“Oh, Sally? She’s been doing real well. You wouldn’t know she’d had surgery. Well, except for the patchy fur.”

“Good girl, good girl,” T was rubbing Sally’s ears and she was doggy smiling. Well, at least one of them was having a good day catching up at the clinic. T gave her a couple of treats. “Her fur will regrow in good time. Is there anything else that you were concerned about?”

Jack noticed that the nurse was far more comfortable talking to Sally than to him. That was alright, he supposed, he sometimes found it easier to talk to dogs, too.

“No, I think we’ll be fine. Thanks.”

Inclining his head, T carefully lifted Sally down and then handed her lead to Jack. “Thank you. Good bye. Bye Sally,” he bent down to rub her head one last time.

“Thanks for taking care of Sally. She really likes you,” Jack wanted to put the big man at ease and he was genuinely thankful for how well he’d taken care of his girl.

Surprising Jack with a wide smile, T inclined his head again. “It’s my pleasure.”

“See you round, then.” Jack led Sally out and paused at the reception desk to ask for a copy of Sally’s test results. He was just taking the printout when he felt Sally’s tail start banging against his calf in excitement.

“Sally girl!” Suddenly Sam was there, crouched in front of Sally, exchanging air kisses and scratching at her chest. “Look at you!” She took a quick look at Sally’s suture site and straightened. “She’s looking great,” Sam told Jack.

“She’s doing great,” Jack agreed, giving Sam a ridiculously wide grin. “Thanks for everything.”

“Did Teal’c take good care of you?”

Teal’c must be T’s full name. “He did. Sally was sure delighted to see him.”

“I’ll bet,” Sam laughed.

At her feet, Sally gave a little whine, which Jack usually thought was cute, but realised Sam might think was bad manners.

“Oh Miss Sally, I’m so sorry,” Sam apologised and dug in her pocket for a treat. “Here, but only one, ok?” With one swipe of her tongue, Sally vanished the treat. The vet leaned on the counter, seemingly waiting for something.

“I, uh. Do you like hiking?” Jack wondered. “Sally and I usually hit one of the dog friendly walking trails on the weekend.”

Sam turned slightly and ducked her head. Ah, there was that cute smile.

“I haven’t been for a while, but it’s good weather for it at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Well, maybe you’d like to ...”

“Sometime? Sure. Sounds like fun.” She gave him a nervous glance and then added. “You’ve got my number.”

“I do. Well, talk to you soon.”

“See you, Jack. Bye Sally.” Leaning against the counter, she watched them leave, again. Admiring his behind in tight work slacks, again.

“He’s cute,” Cassie said to her, following Sam’s gaze. “Your type, too.”

“Cass,” Sam blushed a little, turning to her best friend’s daughter. Cassandra was working reception for the summer.

“Nice dog, too.”

“Yeah, she’s a sweetie. Her name’s Sally.”

“Sam,” Cassie said, eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”

“I know. Strange, huh?”

“It’s about time. You’re going to say yes when he calls you, right?”

“I think so,” Sam acknowledged. “Worth a try, anyhow.”

“Tell me when he does,” Cass said with the eager intensity of a teenager.

“You’ll know,” Sam answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments and enthusiasm. This is so much fun, it’s writing itself. 
> 
> Much love - SH <3


	4. Hit the Road, Jack

**Hit the Road, Jack**

Jack thought about calling Sam every day that week. He didn’t want to look over eager, so he decided to wait until Thursday. On Thursday he remembered that she worked Thursday nights and told himself that Friday would be better, anyhow. On Friday, he picked up his phone to call a few times, then chickened out. Finally, it was after 9 and he thought that it was probably too late.

On Saturday morning, he ran errands and didn’t get home until 2. He spent an hour glancing at his phone and finally sat on his couch, calling Sally up to sit by him. Somehow, having her make the call with him calmed his nerves. He stroked her head with one hand while dialling with the other.

“Hello, Sam Carter speaking.”

“Dr Sam, this is Jack O’Neill, Sally’s dad.” Dad. He sounded like a complete dork.

“Sally’s dad!” She sounded happy to hear from him and the way she had repeated the phrase made him feel a little less dork-like. “How’s our girl?”

Our girl. He took that as encouragement. “She’s right here, begging me for ear rubs.”

“Aww. Give her some from me.”

“She says thank you. Speaking of Sally, we were thinking of heading out tomorrow and doing a trail. We wanted to know if you’d like to come.”

“Sure. I’ve got to stop by the clinic first thing and check on a few patients, but I should be done by 10.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that you were working this weekend.”

“Oh, no, I’m not on call. Sometimes I have patients admitted for the weekend that I want to monitor. So I’m on my own time and once I’ve seen them, I’ll be free.”

Jack hadn’t really thought about it before, but it made sense. Sick animals didn’t happen conveniently from 9-5. “Well, we could pick you up from the clinic around 10, if you like.”

“That would be great. If I’m not out front, just call my cell.”

“Will do. Well, see you tomorrow.”

“See you, Jack.”

“Oh, Sam,” he spoke quickly into the phone, “Feel free to bring your dog, Sally gets along with just about anybody.”

“Right. Well. Thanks. See you.” And she hung up.

Gazing at his phone, Jack pondered Sam’s awkward response. Maybe he’d been too forward. Tomorrow would tell.

 

* * *

 

The clinic looked quiet as Jack pulled up, just two other cars in the parking lot. He was, again, a few minutes early. Sally was sitting in the middle seat of his truck and she perked up as he wound down the window, half lying across his lap to sniff the breeze. After a minute, she looked up at Jack and whined.

“No T for you, today, ma’am,” Jack told her as he scratched at her neck, “But we will see Dr Sam.” Sally's tail gave an extra wag and Jack wondered if she already recognised Sam’s name or if she was just picking up on his excitement.

Right on 10, he saw the clinic door swing open and his heart skipped a beat. With a wave in his direction, Sam started across the lot. Jack slid out of the cab and waited for her to reach him. She was wearing jean shorts that finished just above her knees, and a tight fitting, baby blue tee with very short sleeves.

He remembered that he’d only seen Sam in her doctor’s coat before, which made it kind of hard to pick out her shape. Today he got a pretty good idea and his stomach tightened at the look of her.

Behind him, Sally put her head out the window and gave a bark of greeting, making Jack jump. Sam was just close enough to see his reaction and laughed. He liked it when she laughed, even at his expense, so he forgave Sally for startling him. Besides, he was happy to see her, too.

He met her at the passenger door, holding it open. “Well Sally’s happy to see you,” Jack observed, omitting for now that he was, too.

Sam looked at Sally, who had moved over to the open door to greet her. “Good to see you, Sal,” and she gave the dog an affectionate head rub before climbing in.

Waiting a moment for her to get settled, Jack shut the door and moved to his side, getting in. Sam and Sally were engaged in a happy reunion that involved a dangerously excited wagging tail, all over body scratching and licks, although those were only from Sally.

Jack took in the sight for a moment: Sally wiggling with excitement, Sam with her face pink from laughing and her eyes sparkling, and her long, shapely legs in the cab of his truck. A small part of him thought that he could get used to this, but then he mentally batted that away. No point in getting ahead of yourself, O’Neill.

Clipping his seatbelt, Jack asked, “You both ready to go?”

“Sure. Let’s hit the trail.”

Her enthusiasm made Jack grin and he turned the key to start the truck. Sally knew what that meant, so she settled into a down and put one paw on Sam’s knee.

“Oh, you good girl!” Sam exclaimed, resting her arm on Sally’s back, her fingers absently scritching.

As they pulled out of the lot, Jack chanced a glance and saw Sally’s paw still on Sam’s knee. He’d never been particularly jealous of his dog before, but this morning he was feeling that he might be.


	5. When Harry Met Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s Kleenex time, people. It wouldn’t be a Sam and Jack story without loss. Sadness rating +++
> 
> \- SH <3

**When Harry Met Jack**

They headed up into the mountains, Sam telling Jack about the patients she had stopped in to see, then moving on to some of her funnier cases. Every vet had a bunch of good stories, although Sam stayed away from the particularly gross ones when meeting new people until she could gauge their threshold for stories that included bodily fluids.

They were both laughing when Jack took the turnoff and slowed down for the narrower road to the car park. As Sam recognised the track, the tone of her voice changed and then she fell silent. When Jack glanced at her, she was biting her bottom lip.

After he’d switched off the engine, Jack turned towards her. “You got quiet there. Everything ok?”

“Hmm?” Sam turned to him. He repeated the question as she stroked her fingers through Sally’s fur. “This is ... I haven’t been here much. Recently, I mean. Sorry,” she rubbed at her forehead, anxious.

“Is this not a good place? We can go somewhere else.” Jack sounded concerned, which she appreciated.

Sam looked down at Sally and couldn’t imagine another 20 minutes of small talk in her changed mood. She floofed Sally’s ears. “No. It’s not fair on Sally. I’ll be alright.” Turning, she opened the door and slipped out.

Jack had to follow her, then, and he unhooked Sally and helped her out of the truck, grabbing his water bottle and clipping it to his belt. Sam slipped on her sunglasses. Aside from being a bright day, she wanted a little privacy with her thoughts. He came around the truck and gestured to the trail head. “This way.”

“Yes, I remember,” Sam replied and fell in beside him once she’d figured out which side Sally preferred.

They walked in silence through the car park and along the first few minutes of the trail. Sam tried to figure out what to say. She could sense Jack’s discomfort, observed the way his fingers flicked together at his side, betraying anxiety. When he noticed and stuffed them in his pocket, she pushed herself to just tell him.

“Sorry,” Sam apologised after a few more minutes passed. “I hadn’t even thought about the possibility of coming here.” Blocked it out, more like.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack told her. “Is there something wrong with this trail?”

At that, the corner of Sam’s mouth twitched. “No. I’ve walked this one probably a hundred times.” At least. Most recently just three months ago. “It was my last dog’s favourite. He died about a year ago.”

“Oh,” Jack responded, falling silent and then they fell into single file as they passed hikers coming from the other direction. When they came back to side by side, Jack ventured, “I’m so sorry. I should have worked it out yesterday when I asked you.”

Sam shook her head, casting her eyes down. “No, I should have told you. Then we maybe wouldn’t have come here.” She turned, giving him a tentative smile. “I just wanted to come out with you and I didn’t want you to think I was a sad sack. Or take me out on a pity walk.”

He chuckled a little, because he wanted to make things easier between them, again. “Nah. I wouldn’t take you on a pity walk.” It seemed the right moment to take her hand, so he did. “I’d take you on a sympathy walk.”

The hand he gave her felt good. Solid and warm, fingers callused but lived in. She felt the back of his hand with a stroke of her thumb, and he changed his grip, intertwining his fingers with hers.

“I’d like to know about your dog,” Jack ventured. “He must have been pretty special to you.”

Sam smiled as she remembered him, but Jack could see that her smile was full of sadness. “He was my first dog as an adult. He was a stray, brought into the clinic that I was working at as a student vet. He’d been horribly neglected. We couldn’t even tell how big he was, at first, because his fur was just one big matted mess.”

Jack rubbed at the back of her hand, quietly listening.

“Student vets, they get a lot of the cruddy jobs, cause we’re free labour for the clinic. But this clinic also did a lot of pro bono work, donating clinical time and resources to help local animals. So one of the nurses and I spent about five hours cleaning him up. We washed and clipped him four times, digging through all the layers. When we were done, he was half the size that he’d come in as. That’s how he got his name.”

“What did you call him?” Jack felt invited to ask.

“Hairy Harry.” Sam smiled as she recalled coming up with the name. “Y’know, when I got to meet you two ...” she trailed off, shaking her head.

“What?” Jack wondered, intrigued as to how he could fit into her story.

“I thought of that movie, the one with Meg Ryan. Do you know it?”

“Heh.” He got it, and it amused him he same way it had amused her. “ _When Harry Met Sally_.”

Her smile was like the sun breaking out from behind the clouds and he bathed in it until Sam ducked her head again. “I dunno if it’s silly to think of it as a sign, but I thought maybe Harry was giving me a bit of a nudge from over the Rainbow Bridge.”

“That’s,” his voice cracked and Jack coughed to clear it. “That’s a lovely thought.”

“I’ve been bad company since he died. But I just hadn’t felt like making the effort. Harry is - was - my longest relationship. We were together for thirteen years.”

Jack squeezed Sam’s hand and they walked on in silence for a while, passing another group of hikers and having to drop hands to walk single file.

Sam reached for Jack’s hand when they were able to walk abreast, again. “When we get to the end, I’ll show you where I scattered his ashes.”

The pain hit him like a punch in the gut. She’d lost the closest thing she had to family, was obviously still mourning, and here he’d brought her right to the spot where she had last been with his mortal remains.

His throat still felt tight after a couple of minutes, his own loss was brimming to burst, summoned as an echo to Sam’s pain. Sam rubbed her thumb over his and then stepped closer, grasping his forearm with her free hand.

“Sorry. I hate being such a downer. After all, he was only a dog.” She tried to sound as if she believed it.

Jack choked through a cough and blinked away tears. His eyes were watering, he told himself. “No such thing,” he said roughly, “As _only_ a dog.”

 

* * *

 

The trail ended with a magnificent view over the valley below. It was wildflower season and bright patches of colour stood out against the green. Sam led Jack and Sally over to the far side of the clearing maintained by the local parks service. Jack let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Willingly, Sam leant into his side.

Sam stood unmoving for a long time. Sally settled down for a rest and Jack found his fingers gently stroking her upper arm. At one point, he glanced at her and saw a tear on her cheek and wished that he had a free hand to wipe it away.

Finally, she stirred and wiped at the tear herself. Jack squeezed her shoulder and let her go. “Thanks,” she told him.

“Good to go?” He asked, gently.

Nodding, she then whispered, just on the edge of his hearing, “Thanks, Harry.”

Sam turned and then looked back for Jack and reached for his hand. They linked fingers together and began the walk back to Jack’s truck.


	6. Charlie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely readers, I want to let you know that there is mention of miscarriage in this chapter. If you want skip this one, I will post a safe summary at the beginning of the next chapter.
> 
> This chapter has a sadness rating of +++++. 
> 
> Thank you for your continued support, kudos and comments. 
> 
> \- SH <3

**Charlie**

Both were wrapped up in their thoughts as they traversed the first part of the return journey. Jack was thinking of the photo of Sam hanging in the waiting room of the clinic, it must have been of her and Harry. He wondered why she hadn’t changed it, but then one look at her told him the answer. She wasn’t ready.

Sam turned and looked back at Jack, trying on a small smile. “Thanks for asking me out, today. It might not seem like it, but this feels good.” To back her words up, she caressed his hand with her thumb, again.

“I know,” he agreed. “I mean, I just know what it’s like. Little steps and then, one day, you feel like you can breathe again, without it hurting so much.”

“Wow,” Sam told him. “That’s exactly what it feels like.” The silence between them got a little easier and finally, Sam ventured, “You said, before, that you’d walk with me in sympathy.”

He had. And she was pretty smart. He should have expected that she’d pick up on it. “It’s a very long story.”

Sam squeezed his hand. “Don’t think that you have to tell me. This is just a first date, after all.”

First date. Far out, he’d only known her a little over two weeks. And, yet, there was this feeling he had whenever he thought of her, like he recognised her from a time very long ago. Then she’d said that thing about Harry nudging her towards him and Sally and it felt, just a little bit, like an explanation. For as profoundly a non-spiritual person as Jack O’Neill, even admitting that was a big deal.

“Sally had a brother.” Jack paused, and realised that the story really needed to be longer if he was going to explain it properly. “But actually, this starts long before that.” He then broke the cardinal rule of first dates and began talking about his divorce.

Sam nodded, and listened silently.

“I, uh, I was married. Her name’s Sara and we were trying to start a family. We tried for a very long time, all sorts of things, some medical some ... weird,” he snorted, remembering some of the things he had gone along with because he wanted a child as much as Sara did. “We had, Sara had, eight miscarriages.”

She retook his forearm and Jack sighed as she tried to lend him comfort.

“In the end, we had to stop. It was slowly killing her and tearing us apart. We took a while to recuperate, and then we got Sally and her brother Charlie. I picked out Sal, and Sara chose Charlie.” Sally looked back at Jack at the mention of her name and he paused to bend down and rub her head.

Sam had a feeling where this might be going and she caressed gently where she held Jack’s arm.

God, this was hard. He was going to have to admit to her what he’d done. “There was a hole, in our fence, and Charlie had gotten out a few times. Gone to visit the neighbours and things like that. Sally didn’t like to leave the yard, so she always hung around. But Charlie was the adventurous one.”

“There’s always one in a litter,” Sam said.

“For sure that was Charlie. I’d been meaning to fix the fence, but, he got out one day and was hit.”

Nodding, Sam squeezed his arm, reminding Jack of the day they had met and how she had reassured him about Sally.

“He was a year and a half old. Sara blamed me, I blamed me, and that was the last straw. Things had been pretty tough but then losing Charlie, it just did us both in. When I moved out, seeing Sally was just too hard for her and, as she’d kinda been my choice anyway, Sally stayed with me.” The last few sentences were hard to get out and he felt the pain of losing them all over again, for the first time in a while.

“Jack,” Sam said, stopping in the middle of the trail. Jack had taken an extra step and turned back to look at her. She closed the distance and slid her arms around his waist.

It felt good. It felt so good. Jack’s arms fell in to place around her and he leaned his cheek against her hair. He hadn’t realised how afraid he had been of telling her, expecting that Sam would blame him, too. Instead, they were standing in the middle of a public trail and she was sharing in his grief and remorse. Sharing her grief.

In his chest, in the place where he kept the memory of eight children and one young dog, he felt the burden lighten a bit. Not everyone hated him because of what he’d done, or not done. And he found that he could breathe a bit better than before.

 

* * *

 

Sam had held him until he felt ready to walk again and they emerged from the trailhead different people to the two who went in. When they reached the truck, Jack let Sally have a drink in the shade and they both leant against the green paintwork. Jack let his arm rest on the side of the tray, which happened to also allow him to touch Sam’s back. They shared what was left of the bottle of water, passing it back and forth.

“Do you want to get some lunch?” Jack wondered, not wanting to say goodbye.

“Mmm,” she agreed. “That would be great, breakfast was a long time ago.”

“When?” He wondered.

She tried to recall. “Six.” It was now nearly 1 pm.

“You got up at six, no, before six, on a Sunday?”

Sam shrugged, trying to be casual about it. “Well, being a vet generally means long hours.”

Jack got the subtext: _this is what you get if you want in my life_. “That’s pretty dedicated. I hadn’t realised that you would work such long days. I mean, being a city vet.”

“It depends on the kind of practice. Janet, that’s my partner, and I built the clinic up from a 9 to 5 kind of arrangement, to a full animal hospital. That means someone’s on call 24/7, we have nursing staff around the clock, we’re open every day, even Christmas, and we could be doing emergency surgery at 2 am.”

Sam looked proud of what they had achieved, although she tried not to sound boastful. “And being the partners, we have the final say, so we get middle of the night calls, even if we’re not on call. Janet’s had it the worst, what with raising Cassie. Not having dependents has been an advantage for me.”

“How long have you guys owned the clinic?”

“Seven years. We’re hoping to hire our two resident vets at the end of the summer and then, finally, I might be able to back off a bit. Even if I just take less clinic hours.”

Jack shook his head in admiration. “That’s incredible. When I met you I didn’t realise you were one of the owners. You didn’t seem old enough, I mean.”

She grinned at him, “I don’t do things by halves, O’Neill.”

“No?” He wondered. “What other things don’t you do by halves?”

“This,” she leaned over and hovered her lips near his. When he didn’t move away, she closed the gap, tilting her head so that they fit perfectly together.

Jack wasn’t one to be left behind, so he turned into her, resting his hand on her hip. Her kiss was slow and a little bit careful. Jack pushed into her gently, nibbling at her lips with his and elicited an appreciative mmm from Sam.

She pulled back, so he released her, leaning back into the truck, but keeping his hand on her hip. Jack decided that the way Sam licked her bottom lip with just a peek of tongue was possibly cuter than her shy smile.

“Nice,” her mouth quirked as she nodded. “I could do that again.” Sam looked up to meet his eyes, inviting.

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, an appropriate aphorism a part of his mind noted, Jack pressed his mouth to hers again. More at ease, she parted her lips this time, and he greeted her tongue with his.

Sam had a slow way of kissing, which felt at odds with the kind of energy she exuded, but Jack found himself liking it. She spent time on each interaction, as if she were savouring something truly delicious and Jack liked the implication that the truly delicious thing was him. His hand travelled from hip to waist and then higher, until his thumb was caressing the bottom of her rib cage through her shirt.

When the kiss ended, they lingered close together, cheeks brushing, catching their breath, their exhalations tickling skin.

“Nice seems ... inadequate,” Jack told her when he’d got some air back in his lungs.

“I did low ball that, yes,” Sam agreed. “Could we, maybe, drop a marker here and get something to eat?” She brushed a thumb over his bottom lip and then drew back so there was more room between them, although she kept a hand on his shoulder.

Having a breather was probably a sensible suggestion, Jack conceded, although his libido wanted to rush headlong into whatever came next. “I know a place where we can get a good meal and a cold beer. And they allow dogs at their outside tables.”

“Sounds perfect.” Sam’s smile, though not as bright as the one she’d given him earlier, was still doing funny things to his stomach.

“C’mon, Sally,” Jack called and opened the cab door before lifting her in. “C’mon, Sam,” he said in the same way and helped her in before closing the passenger door. Hoping that they might linger on together after lunch, he wondered if they would do something special for dessert.


	7. Grey Ocean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 Summary  
> (for those who skipped it)
> 
> As they walked back along the trail, Jack talked about his previous marriage to Sara. On rocky ground after a long time unsuccessfully trying to conceive, they tried to heal through counselling and then by adopting two dogs, litter mates. Jack chose Sally and Sara chose Charlie. Through an unintended accident that Jack feels responsible for, Charlie was hit by a car and died. Jack and Sam stop on the trail and spend time holding each other and comforting their grief. 
> 
> Back at the truck, Sam reveals to Jack what her life is like - long hours and a 24/7 dedication to the Animal Hospital (the clinic) that she has spent seven years building up with her best friend and business partner, Janet. Jack gets an inkling of what life with Sam would be like: she would like to slow down a little, but she remains committed to her work.
> 
> Lastly, Sam kisses Jack, they like it. He kisses her again, they like it lots and lots, and then they decide to get lunch at a place Jack knows.
> 
> * * *
> 
> Thanks for sticking with if you jumped chapter 6.
> 
> Much less pain from here on out.
> 
> \- SH <3

**Grey Ocean**

Jack was right, the food here was good. She’d had the Cajun catfish and her mouth was burning. With a cold beer it was just right. Sally had spent a fair bit of time charming staff and patrons and had settled down under the table for a nap. Jack had demolished a well done steak and was contemplating a second beer.

Sam caught him sneaking looks at her when he thought she wouldn’t see. The interest was nice, more than nice, and it was stirring parts of her that hadn’t seen the light of day in a very long while. And those kisses in the car park. There was a purely physical part of her that wanted to know what he was like in bed.

Her conscience was pointing out that maybe she should take it slow, that this had the potential to be something else, more. That she should find out, first, why a man as attractive and likeable as John O’Neill was single.

“You’re checking me out,” Jack observed.

“You’re doing the same,” she responded, taking a sip of beer, holding his eyes.

“What are you thinking?”

“Who are you, Jack O’Neill, and what are you doing sitting across from me on a Sunday afternoon, checking me out?”

Jack chuckled and Sam liked the way his eyes crinkled. “You want to know what’s wrong with me.”

Shrugging, she nodded, “Among other things.”

“I’m intense, but I’m not good at sharing how I feel. I get caught up in my head too much. I dwell on what I’ve done wrong, and refuse to see the things I’ve done right. I don’t toe the line and I’ll mouth off when things need to be said. Oh, and I’m old, a lot older than you, and I have a dodgy knee from playing hockey and a bad back from falling off electricity poles.” He finished the list and drained the last of his beer

“That’s quite a list. Your ex-wife’s opinion?” She tried to deny that he was getting to her, getting under her skin.

“Marriage counsellor, but there’s nothing there that I wouldn’t agree with.”

“Refreshing,” Sam acknowledged, giving him a smile before sipping her beer again. She liked the way he watched her mouth.

“And I’ve been a bachelor a long time. Maybe I can’t share my life, anymore.” He leaned back in his seat, trying to figure out why he liked talking to her so much.

“Then what are you doing here?” Sam wondered. She was enjoying the interplay, it felt oddly cheeky and sexy.

“Checking you out.” Jack gave her a flirty head to toe with his eyes. Sam gave him that shy smile and ducked her head. “Working out if I can share my life,” he added, as honest as his first reason.

Sam was glad she was looking down when he said that, because she was sure that her heart had stopped. Her conscience was doing a victory lap humming _I told you, I told you_. With a deep breath to fortify herself, she looked back up. “So, it’s my turn, now?”

“Go right ahead, if you want. I’ll listen.” Jack leaned forward again, clearly interested.

“Well, I haven’t had a counsellor to help me with my list, but I’ll do my best.” Sam looked down and played with the condensation ring from her beer before beginning. “I’m a workaholic. I throw myself into whatever has me for the moment and I forget about everything - eating, sleeping and being a good partner. I’m a perfectionist and if something doesn’t work out the way I wanted, I blame myself. I've never really had a decent relationship that lasted more than nine months, but I’ve been engaged twice. And I ended them both.”

“Samantha,” Jack said, “I think you’ve been dating the wrong guys.”

“How do you know?” She countered, “Maybe I’m a dead fish in bed and guys lose interest.”

Jack’s eyes met hers and held them until she needed to squirm, something, anything, to relieve the heat that was building. “I doubt that very much,” he rumbled, in a voice low and feral.

Her body responded, despite the screaming of her conscience, and her undies were suddenly soaked. Sam sipped her beer again, hoping to cool off a little, but then Jack’s tongue skated across his lower lip as he watched her mouth. Shit. Setting the bottle down, she tried not to look like she was running away and said, “Bathroom.”

“Sam,” Jack scrambled to get her name out before she left the table. She stopped and looked down at him. “I can give you a lift back to the clinic,” and he fumbled in his pocket.

“It’s ok,” Sam laid her hand on his, Jack’s sudden vulnerability dragging at her insides. “I’ll be back. Promise.”

Jack looked up at her and the same ease she had given him about Sally came over him again. Looking sheepish, he nodded. “Ok.”

 _I’m not the only one who has been dating the wrong people_ , Sam reflected. Who would walk out on a date with Jack O’Neill?

Sam used the bathroom and washed her face. It was obvious she was having the same effect on him that he was having on her. Maybe it was the grief that they had both dragged up, today. She did feel the rawness of Harry’s loss and Jack had lost so much more.

That didn’t feel like all it was, though. There was something else: genuine attraction and something that she could only describe as familiarity, even though that couldn’t be the right word. They had met 18 days ago and exchanged a few phone calls and office visits. Despite that, she got him. She was already reading him, picking up his cues. Goddamn, they would be good in bed, together. _That’s not helping_ , her conscience pricked.

There was a good chance they’d end up there, most likely sooner than later, so why fight it? Sam couldn’t give herself a good reason, except for a shameful voice in the back of her mind saying _Slut_. She wanted to shut that voice up, if she did have lots of sex then who fecking cared? All other things aside, she was far too busy to be picking up random people. It had been ... two years? There’d been no-one since that disastrous fallacy with Pete and then she’d lost Harry and her heart was broken too much to even think about getting another dog, let alone someone for sex.

She checked the time. It had been ten minutes, Jack would be worrying. The ache between her legs was barely diminished but she wanted, needed, to be in his company again.

Sam made her way back to their table, picked up her bag and looked at Jack. “Let’s go.”

Jack’s look of relief at her return changed to surprise. He bent down to unwind Sally’s lead and then stood, getting out his keys. Sally yawned and stretched and looked up at her human and the other human friend and wagged her tail. Sam gave her a big smile.

As they left the restaurant, Sam took Jack’s hand.

“Where are we going?” He asked.

“Your truck. Then we’ll work it out from there.”

“Right. Ok, then.” He was confused, but pleased.

He’d almost convinced himself that she had left, despite her promise. Then she’d come back. Jack swore to himself that he would dial it down, stop falling over himself to come on to her. He’d be happy, very happy, if there was more kissing.


	8. Dog Day Afternoon

**Dog Day Afternoon**

Once they were all settled in Jack’s truck, he turned to look at Sam. “Where to?”

“I have a habit of screwing things up.” She told him, instead of answering.

“What kinds of things?” Jack asked, wanting to know where her head was at.

“Interactions with human beings. I am good with animals as long as they aren’t humans.” As if to prove her point, she dug her fingers into Sally’s fur and made sweet nothing noises to her and his dog looked at his date adoringly.

Jack had serious trouble believing that. She was smart and funny, driven and compassionate, not to mention beautiful, she loved his dog and, by all the signs, every animal. Frankly, she was a modern, drop dead gorgeous, Dr Doolittle.

He turned fully towards her, a knee pulled up on his seat. “I reiterate: you’re dating the wrong guys, Dr Carter.”

Sam gave him a small smile and mirrored his sitting position. “That’s your diagnosis? You’ve known me all of 10 minutes.”

“I’m a good judge of character and I’ve seen all I need to to know that every guy who hasn’t done his darnedest to make you happy is stupid or unworthy.”

“Is that right?” She blushed and reached for the reassurance of Sally.

“I’m serious, Sam.”

“I know I’m not an easy person, Jack.” She was getting steamed up and he was annoyed with all of her previous loves that they had left her thinking this about herself.

“Relationships aren’t easy. They’re messy and painful. It’s not all roses and chocolates and come hither looks.”

“I hear you, but I still say that you don’t know enough about me to be so sure.” Sam wasn’t annoyed with him, he knew, she was fighting those ghost lovers.

“Give me three months.” The words were out of his mouth before passing through his brain.

Sam’s eyes widened, “What?”

Jack drummed his fingers on his knee, not quite sure what he meant, except that he felt he had to, needed to, win her over. “Give us three months. Then ask me again if you’re worth working for.”

“This wasn’t ...” She blushed and rubbed at her forehead. “Ok, yes. Three months. Who could resist a guy that asks her to go steady?” And there was that smile, the one that could power a small city with its brilliance.

Bathed in its glow, Jack found himself grinning broadly back.

Sally sat up straight between them, looking from one to the other and barked, picking up on the excitement. She jumped on Jack, giving him licks and then bounced to Sam, doing the same. The gorgeous blonde laughed and wrapped her arms around the dog’s neck and looked over at Jack.

“That’s how I know. Cause Sally knows,” he said, flatly.

Sam had nothing to counter that logic.

“So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day, three month girlfriend? Hang out at my place, your place, something else?” He hoped that something else wan’t going to be going home alone, yet.

Looking at Sally snuggled on her lap, and back to Jack, Sam played along. “Well, three month boyfriend, my house is probably not dog-proof, so what about your place?”

“Alright. We can do my place. Here, Sal,” he called her over so he could clip her in and straightened himself in his seat. Watching Sam do the same, he asked. “You need to stop and get anything?”

Sam pulled out her phone and woke it up, checking the charge. “You got a phone charger I can borrow?”

“Pretty sure I do.”

“Then let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

Jack drove them to the outskirts of the Springs where the properties were measured in acres. He loved this area for its green and tree lined roads, blocks large enough to have peace and quiet from the neighbours and it was decently dark at night, which was great for stargazing.

Glancing over at Sam, she was leaning on her elbow, eyes fixed out the window, her other hand absently petting Sally. Jack brushed his fingers over hers and she stirred.

“I love this area. Such a lovely place to live,” Sam told him.

“I moved out here after ...” Well, he didn’t need to tell her what after. “Sara kept the old house.”

“You bought out here?” Sam looked out the window again and then back to Jack. “What do you do, again?”

He laughed. “I’m a transmissions engineer - an electrical engineer. I do audits, supervise transmissions projects, generation projects, substation upgrades, future planning for all of that jargon I just mentioned ...” Jack kept glancing at Sam to see if her eyes had glazed over, yet. “I make your lights turn on.”

Sam chuckled, “I worked that much out. But I’ve still got a lot to learn, by the sound of it. Do you like what you do?”

“I do. I spend a lot of time outdoors and CSU isn’t a big company, so I get to work on a variety of things. It’s problem solving, a lot of the time, and I like figuring things out. Of course, I’m retiring on Friday,” he glanced over at Sam, looking for her reaction.

“Retiring?” She repeated. Sam looked at him long and hard. “I don’t think I’m so bad at guessing that I’m off on your age by ten or fifteen years?”

Jack was clearly amused. “Not unless you think I’m 40.”

“No, I don’t,” she confirmed.

“I started straight out of high school. Back then, they trained linesmen on the job. The company helped me go to college and I got my degree part time. A bit over a decade ago I also finished my Masters. So, when most people start working after they graduate, I’d been working for eight years.”

“So you got a jump on your retirement plan. And I was in the right zone with my guess.”

“Does it bother you?” Jack wondered.

“That you’re retiring or that you’re in your 50’s?”

“Either, both.”

“Age? No.” She looked Jack up and down thoroughly enough that he felt the heat. “You’re exactly my type.”

He couldn’t deny that he liked the ego stroke. “And?”

“Retiring, no. Except that you don’t seem the snowbird type.”

Jack inclined his head, “No, I’m not.” He slowed down and turned carefully into a gravel driveway, pulling up next to a modest, single story house. The spot where he parked the truck gave a good view of the yard that stretched a very long way until it reached the woods.

Sally was obviously bursting to get out of the truck and Sam chuckled. “Sally tells me we’re home.”

“This is it,” Jack confirmed, hopping out.

Sam did the same on her side and was nearly bowled over by Sally. “Hey girl, I’ll help you,” she grabbed the dog round the middle and deposited her on the gravel. Jack turned the corner of the truck at the same time and, as she straightened, Sam caught where his eyes were. “Still checking me out?”

“I hadn’t seen that angle, yet.”

“Jesus, Jack, you could go to a girl’s head.”

He stepped up beside her and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Good,” he pronounced and led the way towards the house, Sally catching him up and ambling along beside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was intending this to be slow burn, but these two are wrestling me for it. Must be Harry pushing them together.


	9. This Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Sally assists Harry in his matchmaking.

**This Kiss**

Unlocking the front door, Jack stood back and motioned to Sam, “Ladies first.” Sally barrelled through before Sam could even move, leaving Sam giggling as she crossed the entry.

“Well, she is a lady.” Sally had already disappeared, so Sam moved slowly through the entryway before turning to Jack.

“Want something to drink?” He offered.

“Sure.” Sam followed Jack to the kitchen, taking in the functional choice of furniture, sparse decorations and the subtle sense of order to things. A gentleman bachelor’s home, one that matched Jack.

“Beer?”

“Anything non-alcoholic?”

Jack leant into the fridge, digging around. “Coke, Canada Dry, Dr Pepper?”

“Canada Dry, please.” Sam took the can and noticed that he chose soda, too. Perhaps he was being cautious, just like she was.

Sally reappeared, sniffing around her food bowl, looking hopefully at Jack. “Too early, girl.” She looked greatly disappointed in him and wandered out of the kitchen. “I neglect her terribly,” he said to Sam as he moved to stand beside her. “C’mon, the best part of this place is outside.” He grazed her hand with the back of his and Sam thought that it was a good call to get as far away as possible from comfortable horizontal surfaces.

Jack led her through the house and out the back door on to the deck. It was large, with a grill and outdoor table, and overlooked what must be the majority of the land attached to the house. The mown grass stretched for at least 50 yards and then met with a thickly treed wood.

Leaning against the rail of the deck, Sam admired the view and then took to watching Sally, who was sniffing out whatever had visited her yard since she last patrolled it.

Jack came up beside her and put his arm around her waist. “What do you think?”

“Beautiful,” she replied. Jack’s hand was pleasantly warm against her, his thumb fluttering at her side.

“It is,” he agreed and moved closer.

Sam liked the warmth of his body pressed firmly to hers. She gave a soft sigh of appreciation and they spent a while watching Sally, soaking up the closeness.

“Jack.”

He waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he ran his hand up to her shoulder and stroked softly.

Finally, she continued, “What do you think of women who sleep with someone on the first date?”

Jack skipped the hypothetical, “I think that you are a mature person and can decide what is good for you.”

“It’s not, cheap?”

Thumb stroking her shirt, he wondered, “What are you worried about?”

Reaching toward her shoulder, she slid her fingers between Jack’s. “Screwing up,” she admitted.

“Your two engagements, did you sleep with them on the first date?” His tone neutral, eyes fixed ahead, he watched Sally in the yard.

“No,” she admitted. “But then, I wasn’t, I mean. I didn’t feel a ... connection, like this.”

“Like we’ve known each other, before?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, a thrill running up her spine that he got it. Then Sam realised that he didn’t just get it, he felt it. “You mean, you ...”

“Yeah,” Jack echoed her.

They fell into silence, again, until Sam finally ventured, “So, what do we do?”

“Go with it,” Jack readily replied. “See what happens. There’s no need to rush, we’ve got three months.”

Sam laughed at his last words. “I knew you’d say that.”

As he brushed his nose against her ear he asked, “What am I going to say, next?”

His warm breath and low tones on her ear and neck warmed her insides. “Nothing.” Sam turned her head towards him and brushed her lips over his. The first few kisses were short, exploratory, gauging how they felt together. Sam captured his bottom lip with hers, sucking experimentally. His soft sigh seemed to be encouragement, so she opened her mouth to his and let her warm breath wash over him.

Jack rubbed his nose against hers and then accepted her invitation, pressing softly to her, lips parted. Delicately, Sam traced the shape of his lips, her tongue venturing further, then darting away until Jack cupped her cheek and chased her with his own tongue while she laughed. Laughter became moans as his tongue stroked against hers, calling to the heat inside her and fanning the flames. When they finished, breathless, foreheads together, Sam found herself wondering if they hadn’t just had their first round of sex. While she was still aroused, something about the way they had joined was deeply satisfying.

“Nice?” He asked her cheekily.

“Passable.” Sam tried to keep her tone bored.

“Really?” Jack wondered, and suddenly his hands were at her sides, tickling her until she yelped with laughter. He was merciless and pinned her against the railing, fingers soon joined by his mouth kissing, nipping and blowing raspberries on the exposed skin of her neck and shoulders. Sam tried to fight back, blocking hands and squirming away from lips, but Jack had the start on her and she was laughing too hard to be effective in her own defense.

Suddenly, Sally was there, jumping and barking and dancing around them and Jack was forced to stop, lest one of them get nipped by an over-excited, overly-fluffy canine.

Sam retreated, crouching down and putting Sally between herself and Jack, scratching and rubbing enthusiastically at her fur while the dog wiggled in delight at being part of their game. She raised her eyes to Jack, grinning, “Sally’s got my back.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jack said cockily and grabbed for one of the tennis balls lying around the deck. “Hey, Sal!” And when he had her attention, threw the ball down the yard. A grey and white flash sped off after it and Jack looked triumphantly at Sam. “My dog!”

Getting to her feet, Sam shook her head, advancing on him, “Just you wait, Jack O’Neill, I’ll win her over.”

Jack slowly backed up along the deck, “Did you just threaten to make my dog fall in love with you?”

Sally was back and she dropped the ball at Sam’s feet. “Good girl,” Sam praised, triumphantly and scooped the ball up, eyes meeting Jack’s, “Who’s to say she isn’t already?”

Turning the tables, Jack advanced on Sam, who laughed and ran down the stairs to the grass. Running circles around Sam and winding between her legs, Sally nearly tripped her, which only made Sam laugh harder.

Sam managed a less than impressive throw between gasps for breath and Sally sprinted away from her. A moment later Jack had caught her, hands around her waist from behind, biting and kissing the back of her neck and making her braided hair come loose.

As Sam gasped for air, Jack splayed his fingers over her belly and pulled her in, tight against his chest and hips. The kisses became more deliberate, targeted at the base of her neck, then wandering upwards until he laid an open kiss on the soft skin behind her ear, teasing her with tongue and suction.

The thrumming of her pulse filled Sam’s ears and she turned her head, eyes closing, giving Jack better access to ear and neck. Fingers bunched up the fabric of her shirt, until cool air tickled her flesh and he could palm her naked belly. Sam laid her hands over his, clawing at his skin as Jack slowly bit down.

At their feet, Sally whined, unheard, and lay down next to her ball.


	10. Canada Dry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, we have entered the Explicit zone. If this is not your thing, feel free to sidle along to Chapter 12 and assume that these next two can be summarised as: sexy times ensue.
> 
> \- SH <3

**Canada Dry**

If her groan was anything to go by, he didn’t need to ask, but he felt compelled. Jack kissed the spot he had just bitten, checking to see if he’d left an exposed mark and then whispered against her skin, “Nice?”

Sam shivered against him and he felt a swell of response. “If I deny it, will you bite me, again?”

“As you wish,” and Jack pushed aside the collar of her shirt and brushed his teeth over her skin.

Her moan of anticipation was followed by a whispered, “Better than nice.”

Jack teased her, biting lightly and holding her skin but not deepening until she pressed her hips back into his and ground against his growing erection. His responding _unf_ was followed by teeth digging in and this time he sucked as well, intending to mark her.

Sam dragged one of his hands upwards to her breast and he relished the weight of her flesh in his hand, slowly grasping and releasing as he suckled her skin.

“Jack,” her voice was breathy and loaded with arousal and he moved further down her shoulder, repeating the actions of his mouth. His lower hand smoothed over her stomach and he edged the tips of his lower fingers under the waistband of her shorts.

Part of Jack wanted to push her down on the grass and strip her and take her fiercely and possessively but he wanted far, far more to ever so slowly rouse her, and tease her until she begged for him to grant her release. It had been a very long time since Jack had made love to anyone and he suspected the same for Sam. He wanted to start things off in the right way and show her the devotion he was sure that she deserved.

Releasing his second dark bite, he kissed back up to her ear, and softly asked, “Everything ok?”

“Yes,” came her breathy response.

“Shall we go inside?” And his tongue brushed her earlobe.

“Yes,” and her voice was shaking.

Jack squeezed her breast and held his grasp, while he asked, “Do you want to make love on our first date?”

“Gods, yes.” She ground into him, again, and this time Jack was the one moaning.

Sliding his hands away across her body and releasing her, Sam turned to him, her hand still resting on her bare stomach, as if she missed his touch there. Jack reached for her free hand and guided her inside, calling to Sally to follow and closing the back door behind them, keeping the cooling afternoon air outside.

Jack walked her to the bedroom hallway, kissed the corner of her jaw and whispered, “Last door on the left. There’s an ensuite if you want to freshen up. I’ll be just a minute.”

Nodding, she ran her fingertips across his belly and started down the hall, glancing back once, just catching his eye as he turned.

Calling to Sally he gave her a treat and crated her, not relishing being interrupted by her at the bedroom door. She settled down, paws on her favourite toy and looked at him, admonishing. “Sorry, girl,” Jack told her as he kicked off his shoes and socks and grabbed their barely touched sodas.

Approaching the bedroom, he wondered if he should knock on his own door when he saw that it wasn’t completely closed. Nudging it open, he saw her still clothed, braid redone, leaning against the window on the far side of the bed. Leaving the drinks on the nightstand, he moved to join her and saw that she had also divested herself of footwear.

“Hey,” she greeted him, looking a touch awkward and shy.

“Hey,” he repeated, and moved into her space, sliding his arms around her hips and up under her shirt, pressing his hands to her bare back.

“Jack!” Sam shrieked as his ice cold hands hit her skin and he pulled her tight against him.

He was laughing as he slid his hands down to cup her ass and she was too, her hands wrapping around the back of his neck. Pleased to have banished the awkwardness on her face, Jack met Sam for a kiss, slow and careful, until she put her bare foot between his and leaned her hips in.

Sam egged him on, tongue reaching for his, stroking and teasing, then falling back to heady sweetness, then demanding completion from him with steady thrusts. Jack’s tongue danced as he followed her lead, finding himself chasing her down like a cat after a mouse.

When she had him wound up to her satisfaction, she took a step backwards and slowly lifted the hem of her shirt, exposing her stomach to him. When the hem met the bottom of her bra, Sam slid her hands underneath and cupped herself, letting him watch as her fingers squeezed and stroked her breasts beneath the fabric.

Sam was watching him, with his mouth slightly open, tongue working over his bottom lip. The moment Jack broke and stepped towards her, she stepped back and he stopped. For now, this was her show.

The t-shirt tightened further, outlining Sam’s knuckles and he recognised the rhythmic motion of her teasing her nipples. There was a surge of blood to his erection and the ache he felt made Jack wonder if his earlier assumptions about who would beg who for release had been premature.

With a long sigh, Sam grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, letting it drop to the floor. Her bra was smooth, a soft blue like her tee, and her nipples stood out firmly against the fabric. His hands twitched with a need to feel her and she responded with a glorious smile that made his knees shake.

She popped the button on her shorts and dragged the zipper downwards, giving Jack a peek of soft blue underwear. Hands went to the waistband of her shorts and she held his eyes for a moment, then turned, sliding them to reveal her buttocks and then bending over to pull them from her feet.

He couldn’t help but moan as he saw that the crotch of her underwear was soaked. Sam placed her hands on the mattress and looked over her shoulder at him.

“Touch me,” she invited.

It took Jack two steps, not even a heartbeat, before he was standing behind her. His fingers wanted to dive straight to her sex, but he held himself back, drinking her in, creamy skin, the blue of her underwear a perfect choice to complement her blonde hair and blue eyes.

Breathing in slowly, he placed his hand flat against Sam’s spine, in the middle of her back. Jack was surprised to feel her trembling and he held his hand there, lending her his warmth and his strength. He circled his hand slowly, and felt her settle beneath his touch then dragged his palm, firm against her skin, down her spine and over her underwear, twisting it over her tailbone, his fingers leading, pressing between her cheeks, his middle finger bumping over her anus and then circling his fingertip on her perineum, slowly pressing harder, the middle joint of his finger stimulating her rim.

“God, Jack,” Sam moaned, pressing back into his hand, her breathing becoming audible.

Jack smiled. Maybe he would hear her beg, yet. Keeping the stimulation up with his first hand, he ran a fingernail from his other across the soaked fabric, brushing her slit. Slowly, he repeated the action until he felt her grow wetter. Pressing harder against her, he parted her lips underneath the fabric and was rewarded with long, guttural moan. Sam pushed back into him and he stilled his hands until she relaxed, then began again. Still massaging her perineum and anus, he pushed the finger into her and and slowly felt for clit. Her groan told him he had it, and he methodically circled her, teasing until it stood firm and tight.

Removing one hand, Jack grabbed a pillow from the bed and dropped it behind Sam’s feet, getting on his knees. His hand twisted, maintaining the pressure in her ass crack, then replacing that finger with a thumb, circling her as his palm rested on her ass cheek.

When he pushed his tongue into her undies, penetrating her lips, she let out a scream and moaned and panted, grinding against his mouth trying to get his tongue deeper. Again, he stilled his motions until she stopped and then he nipped and pulled at the fabric with his teeth, making his way down to her clit. She was thoroughly soaked and he licked the taste from her underwear as he worked over her clit, stroking, circling and pressing until, finally, she begged.

“Please, Jack. Please. Fingers ... tongue ... _please_.”

At her last wanton please, he slid a finger under the fabric and circled her entrance, Sam emitted a long moan and a breathless _thank god_.

Jack stroked her slowly with one finger, then two, until he had her panting hard, tremors and twitches sparking under his fingertips.

Barely audible, Sam chanted a litany on the edge of his hearing. “God, please Jack, please Jack, please Jack,” over and over.

When his lips closed around her clit, he braced her behind, sucking her and fingers stroking, curling inside her until, finally, he felt her clench and heard her squeak and moan as the waves of orgasm coursed through her. He kept it up, slowly reducing the force until she shimmied away from his mouth and fingers.

Sam climbed up on the bed and lay panting on her stomach.

Jack gazed at the glorious woman, resplendent and satiated on his bed, as he stripped off his pants and shucked out of his shirt. When he was down to his boxers, he crawled on to the bed beside her and kissed her shoulder reverently, making his way up her neck, to her mouth and teasing her with tongue and lips until she opened to him and he pressed his tongue into her mouth.

Starting to revive, Sam lifted her head to get a better angle and let her lips and tongue show Jack her appreciation. He broke away, leaning on his elbow and stroked her hair and cheek and anywhere else his fingers felt like wandering.

“You. Are. Glorious.” He told her and Sam gave him an unguarded smile that lit up her eyes and went all the way to his toes. It dawned on him that he was in dangerous territory and that he might just be falling head over heels for this blonde Dr Doolittle.


	11. Come and Get Your Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a smexy times chapter. Enjoy!

**Come and Get Your Love**

  
Jack was dragging his fingernails over the skin of her back, doodling, it felt like, while she purred at his touch. Sam pushed herself up on her elbows, so their faces were at the same level, “What are you drawing?” She asked.

He tilted his head as he considered. “If I said a circuit diagram, do I sound geeky or intelligent?”

“Both. And geeky is in, now, didn’t you know? Women find it a turn on.”

“Oh?” Jack chuckled, “And do you?”

“I’ve always found it a turn on.”

Jack mmmd, “Me too. Smart women make me melt.” Leaning in, he kissed the crest of her shoulder. “And sexy smart women ...” this time he sunk his teeth into her flesh.

Sam rolled her neck, presenting her skin to him again, his canvas to bring her pleasure.

“Dear god, when you do that I think my heart might actually stop.”

“Do what?” She wondered, sounding genuinely unaware.

“Ask me to do this.” Jack pushed up until he could lean over her, slid his fingers into her hair, holding her in place while he made another mark on the curve of her shoulder.

Sam writhed under his mouth, rubbing herself against the bed and moaning, long and low. When he finished and licked over the spot, she cursed, drawing the word out, “ _Fuuuuuck me_.”

“As you wish,” and he slid his body over hers, pressing his stomach against her back and rolling his erection slowly against her ass.

Sam laughed and squirmed as he rolled his hips against her, pushing up and bracing himself on his hands. She spread her legs and they moved against each other until the head of his penis found the spot where her thighs and buttocks met and they both moaned. The fabric between them increased the friction and Jack could only thrust against her a few more times before he had to stop.

He lowered himself back down over her, resting his upper body weight on his elbows. Jack kissed the back of her neck and nuzzled her, “Sam?”

“Mmm?” She replied, reaching behind her head to stroke his face.

Jack captured her thumb with his mouth and sucked on it, stroking its length with the base of his tongue. He let it go free when she shivered under him. Remembering that he had been in the middle of a question, he asked, “I have some condoms somewhere. Should I dig them out?”

“Uh-uh,” she replied, the hum back in her voice. “I’m clean and I’ve got an IUD. You?”

“All good,” he told her and rolled his hips again, eliciting a sultry groan from Sam.

“I like this position,” she told him.

Jack let his weight crowd her into the bed and slid his hand up her arm, twining his fingers with hers, his other hand running down her side, circling and caressing the curve of her breast. Sam slowly writhed under him, panting with arousal. He gave her a last roll of his hips, kissing her shoulder blade. “I do, too,” he murmured against her skin, “But, I want to watch your face. Do you mind?”

“No. I want to watch you, too.” She licked her lips to moisten them. “There’s always later.”

“Too right,” he agreed, releasing Sam’s hand and pushing himself up until he was straddling her, weight on his knees. Jack placed his hands in the small of her back and leant into her, running his thumbs up her spine until they met her bra. Unhooking, his hands followed the fabric across her sides to the front where he cupped her breasts against the sheets.

Pushing up, resting on her elbows, Sam gave him more room to work. Jack caressed and squeezed her a little and then asked, “Roll over.”

As he lifted up until he was standing on his knees, Sam rolled over underneath him and reached for her loose bra, removing it. Jack took a moment to appreciate her, blonde hair fraying from her braid, blue eyes that had shifted from sky to cobalt. Creamy white skin and round breasts, tipped with dark and puckered nipples. For a moment, he just gazed at her, captivated again.

Sam reached between his thighs and stroked him firmly, his boxers still in the way, “Jack? Calling Jack?” Her fingers couldn’t help exploring his shape and she felt him again. “Boxers, off,” She prodded his addled brain.

“Brilliant idea,” he told Sam as he slid off the bed and stripped. “Shall I?” He asked, hooking index fingers into the waist of her underwear.

“Please,” she asked. Once they were both completely naked, Sam drew her knees up, waiting with her hands on her belly.

Jack advanced on her caressing the back of her leg from thigh to knee, his other hand reaching for her centre, pressing a finger into her opening, stroking the slickness. Jack teased her clit, letting his wet finger circle until Sam spoke.

“Jack,” she pleaded and he heard the need in her voice.

Lowering himself between Sam’s knees, he guided his way in, pressing his tip into her vagina and entering her just enough that he could shallowly stroke, hands free.

Sam’s gaze met his and she smiled and mouthed _Nice_ and he grinned back, his eyes crinkling. Rubbing her knee against his hip, Sam hooked her foot over his thigh and reached for Jack’s sides, scraping her nails against skin. “Closer,” she asked.

Jack changed from hands to elbows and gave her his mouth, their tongues probing and tangling while his hips hovered, still only stroking shallowly. When Sam dragged her nails down his back to dig into his buttocks he jerked, sliding a little deeper. She hummed in triumph and he lightly bit her lip in retaliation. Her only response was a deeply sexy laugh that made him want to drive his hips into her and fuck frantically until she screamed his name.

“Dear god,” he moaned, instead, and when she chuckled again his hips leapt, sheathing himself in her completely and making her cry out, her back arched and breasts pressing in to him as her shoulders lifted off the bed. “Yessss,” he hissed, biting at her exposed throat, her nails digging deep into the cheeks of his ass as he picked a rhythm that had them both panting.

“More,” she begged him, bringing her other knee up and hooking her calf over his thigh. Jack obliged, thrusting forcefully, sliding his forearms under her shoulders, holding her in place.

“Tell me ... close,” he asked and she fixed her eyes on his face and soon she felt the initial contractions of her orgasm.

“Close, Jack,” she moaned and he drove harder. Her pleasure started as a guttural moan in her chest before her hips bucked and rolled beneath him.

“Yes, Sam,” and then he was erratically thrusting and he filled her with hot jets of his semen, his hips reflexively twitching until he stilled and her arms wrapped around him, holding him tightly to her, voicing meaningless words that brushed his ear.

As his senses returned, Jack nuzzled her jaw, lips playing against her skin. Sam hummed in response and slid her hand into his hair, caressing, and soothing. She pressed her lips to his ear and spoke softly, “You. Are. Glorious.”

Oh, yeah. He was definitely a goner for Dr Sam.


	12. Little Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of talk for those of you who like the banter. You know who you are. <3

**Little Messages**

Sam sat half propped up on Jack’s pillows, checking her messages. 10 minutes ago, once the haze had lifted, she’d remembered that her phone needed charging. Jumping out of bed, she had gone in search of her bag, stark naked, much to Jack’s enjoyment.

Then she had returned, asking for a charger and he was the one looking for things while nude. By the time he found a cable and a wall plug Sam had already pulled her shirt back on and was sitting cross legged on the bed. Plugged in, she had been able to relax and Jack had slid back in beside her, snuggling under the comforter, resting his head on her belly above the covers. He amused himself playing with the hem of her shirt and the skin of her stomach.

Flicking through messages, Sam muttered to herself and abstractedly ran her fingers through his hair. “Sorry,” she told him, pausing after a few minutes. “It’s just that no one knew I’d be incommunicado this afternoon, and I feel like I should just be sure.”

Jack kissed her belly, “Don’t worry. We’re both going to have to work out how to adjust our lives.”

Sam paused, mind whirring. “This is really happening, isn’t it?”

“Or it’s a spectacularly good dream.” Licking her belly button, Sam yelped and he declared, “Not a dream.”

Chuckling, Sam settled down again, stroking Jack’s hair. “Nearly done,” she promised him and then his pillow bounced as she chuckled. “Janet wants to know how my date went. What do you think I should tell her?”

“Hmm,” Jack pondered. “10/10? Too hot to rate? Not over yet? My hot new lover has me in his bed at his mercy? Don’t expect me back for a week? Or just tell her that I say, ‘Hi’.”

“Last option, I think.” A moment later, “Janet says, ‘Hi’. She wants to know where we are.” Then she giggled evilly, “I should send her a selfie.”

Jack chuckled, “Now you’re boasting.”

Sam sighed ruefully. “‘In bed’ it is, then.” Pause. Again, the evil chuckle. “I think I just heard her scream from all the way at her house.”

“What did she say?”

“‘Stop talking to me and get off the bloody phone!’ Six exclamation points for emphasis,” Sam noted to Jack.

“Wow, she’s serious. How long since you’ve been laid?”

“Not since my last ... breakup, so two years, five months.” Sam switched her phone to silent and placed it on the nightstand. Janet was in her override contacts if she really needed her.

“One of the engagements?” Jack’s hand stopped wandering and snuggled more comfortably around her waist.

“Yeah,” Sam sighed. “More like colossal mistake, but, I suppose I learned something from it.”

“Like what?”

“Like my biological clock is a fool. And that you can’t want to be in love with someone. You are, or you aren’t.”

“Big lessons,” Jack observed. “Do you still want kids?”

Sam thought it was sweet of him to ask, given what he’d told her about trying with Sara. “I honestly don’t know. Occasionally I get a pang, but after I broke up with this last guy - Pete - I mostly locked it all up in a box and stuffed the key somewhere between the couch cushions.” She fingered his silver grey hair, flecked with brown, thinking again how beautiful it was.

“I’m not sure, either. Maybe it’s too late for me. I’d be dropping them off at school and people will be thinking I’m their grandfather.”

“You are far too gorgeous for someone to think you’re a grandad. You’ll be fighting off all the teachers with a stick.”

Jack kissed her belly. “You are exploding my ego.”

“Maybe it needs a little puffing up,” she mused. “How long since you’ve been laid?”

“Seriously or casual?”

“Both.”

“Seriously would be Sara, so seven-ish years. Casual - the work guys went through a period of setting me up on dates, so maybe two or three? But I gave blind dating away. All of that getting to know you stuff and then the sex just felt like - a test drive, y’know? With no real chemistry it just all felt like a waste of time. It’s not a puritanical thing ...” he shrugged against her.

“I know what you mean. I’m not great at casual. It’s a lot of effort to keep the sex and the emotions seperate.” Her finger traced his cheek and jaw. “I’d rather have a long term relationship with my vibrator.”

Jack chuckled. “Is your vibrator going to get jealous?”

“I’ll have to see if it’s up for a threesome,” she scraped her nails against his scalp.

“Good answer.” He nuzzled her belly and tried a more exploratory kiss.

“It’s nearly dark out,” she answered his unvoiced question.

“Food?” Jack suggested. “Do you want to stay tonight? Or I can drive you back to the clinic after we eat.”

Sam pondered her schedule for the next day. “I’m off on Mondays, so I don’t have to be up super early. Could you drop me at the clinic on the way to work?”

“Sure. It’s mostly on my way.”

 

* * *

 

Showering while Jack ordered Thai, Sam dressed in a t-shirt and sweats that he’d loaned her. She padded down the hallway to be greeted by a bouncing Sally. Jack appeared after his dog and leaned against the wall as he watched Sam crouch and play. His contentment was palpable.

The doorbell rang and Sally dashed to see who it was, Sam close behind her to see if Jack needed a hand with food or dog. She took the bags to the kitchen while Jack paid and then stood there, realising she didn’t know where anything was. Sally skittered in ahead of Jack just as Sam had begun opening random cupboards.

Jack reached past her, getting out plates and glasses and cutlery, taking every opportunity to brush against her. When he was done, he slipped his arms around her waist from behind while he pushed her against the cabinets and she turned her face to him. The kiss was long and slow and it became clear that he was enjoying it. Sam reached a hand to stroke his hair as she pulled away.

“Food, then sex.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. The sex will be better if I’m refuelled.”

He nipped her neck and palmed her breast and stepped back, grabbing the plates and cutlery, she carried the food. Once the table was set, he offered, “Beer? Soda?”

“Which beer?”

“Heineken.”

“That will do, thank you.” Sam opened all the containers and he returned with the beers, caps off.

When Jack was seated, she noticed Sally sitting attentively by the table. “You feed your dog at the table?”

“Yes?” He answered, wondering if he should be guilty.

“Oh, dear,” Sam intoned before finding a piece of beef and giving it to Sal. The dog snaffled it and the tip of her tail wagged faster. When Sam caught Jack looking at her, eyebrow raised, she giggled. “Still working on getting her to fall in love with me.”

“For crying out loud. The last thing I need is the two of you ganging up on me.”

Sam grinned happily at him and took a bite of Toon Tong.

“20 Questions,” Jack said.

“Hmm?” Sam wondered.

“20 Questions. Let’s call this our second date. I want to know more about you, you want to know more about me, I assume. 20 Questions between us and we promise honest answers.”

“Alright,” Sam agreed. “You first.”

“Where were you born?”

“Germany.” That surprised him and he gave her a _tell me more_ motion. “My father was stationed at Rammstein for a couple of years. I was born there, my younger brother was born here.”

“Here USA, or here Colorado Springs?”

“The Springs. But we didn’t grow up here. We’re Airforce brats - before I was eighteen I’d been to eight different schools and lived in three countries.”

“Your turn.”

“What are you planning to do when you retire?” Sam sipped her beer from the bottle.

“Work,” he answered and she laughed.

“Should have guessed.”

He shrugged modestly. “I have a friend who’s a consultant for some of the Native American nations. He’s helped me get some contracts to improve electricity infrastructure on tribal lands, help with grant applications, manage improvements and so on.”

“That sounds ... fantastic. Oh, but will you still be based here?” She tried not to sound disappointed, because it did sound like a really interesting line of work for him.

Jack reached for the basil beef and spooned some on to his plate. “Most of the time, yes. I’ll need to travel a bit and be onsite when construction is happening as I’ll be the project manager. But most of the projects are small, maybe a month. And I’ll be close enough to come back on weekends. If you want me, that is.”

That meant that he would not be so worried about her work and hours, Sam hoped. Shrugging in response to him, she gave Sally another piece of beef. “You never know, Sally and I might be just fine without you.”

“I think you’re just after me for my dog.”

“Darn it, Jack, you’ve seen through my dastardly plan. I am putting up with hot sex so I can hang with your dog.”

“Hot sex?” He asked, eyes flashing at her.

“Is that an official question?”

He hmphed. “I’ll make you tell me later.”

“Alright,” she teased. “If you think you have enough leverage.”

“If it is hot sex, I’ll have lots of leverage. Either way, I get an answer. So my turn - why am I your type?”

“The psychotherapy answer or the specifically you answer?”

“Let’s call them 3a and 3b.”

“Is that in the rules?”

“Is now. Tell,” Jack poked her leg with his toe.

She rolled her eyes, “You’re cheating. So 3a - I grew up hanging around my father, which means I grew up hanging around a lot of Colonels and Generals.” She shrugged, “So I guess I got comfortable with older men early on.”

Sam leant back and looked him over, again. “3b: Physical - The first thing I noticed about you were your eyes. And then I remember wanting to make you smile. And I love your hair.” She actually sighed as she looked at his head, “It really is ... sexy.”

Running a hand across his scalp, Jack looked sheepish when he realised what he was doing.

“Really,” she told him, “And it matches all the way down,” her eyes followed her words and Jack shifted under her gaze. Returning to her answer, she continued, “On the inside - you’ve got experience, living life isn’t new to you, you’re steady when you need to be and not afraid to be yourself. And, y’know, the hot sex.”

Jack poked Sam with a toe when she made her last point, making her laugh and fold her legs up on her chair.

“My turn. What do you do for fun?”

A cheeky smile crossed Jack’s face, “Aside from dating hot, blonde vets?”

“How many do you know?”

“One.”

“So that’s a new hobby,” she noted.

“Oh, should I have counted you, too?”

“I can call a cab at any time ...” Sam threatened.

Trying to look contrite, he moved on to his answer. “I fly, I hike with Sally. I used to play hockey and I still go to the occasional game ...”

“Wait, wait. You fly?”

“I’m sorry, Sam. I forgot to tell you that I have wings,” he deadpanned.

“So, like, planes?” Sam ignored his wisecrack.

“Yeah. Going to be handy for my new job. Daniel, that’s my liaison friend, does too. It’s how we met.”

Sam shook her head, “I would never have guessed.”

“This is why we’re playing 20 Questions. My turn, again?”

Sam nodded and poked around in what was left of the takeaway containers, picking out bits and pieces.

“Why did you decide to become a vet?”

“Because I didn’t want to join the Airforce.”

The answer surprised Jack, his expression showed it.

Inclining her head to him, Sam acknowledged his confusion. “I know, everyone expects me to say that it’s because I love animals, which is true. But, honestly, it’s also because I didn’t want to join the Airforce.”

“But your dad did?” Jack guessed.

“I was always good at academic subjects in school, particularly science, and my dad wanted me to go to the Airforce Academy. If I didn’t want to do that, then I knew my dad would accept my choice better if it was something acceptably science-y.” Sam began ticking the options off on her fingers. “I didn’t want to be a research scientist, stuck in a lab. If I’d been a doctor, dad would have wanted me to do it via the Airforce, and I do love animals, so I decided to become a vet.”

“What does he think, now?” Jack wondered.

“Fortunately Mark, my brother, went to the Academy. And Dad’s grown used to the idea. I think the turning point came when Janet and I bought the clinic and he realised I would have a stable future.”

“I can understand that,” Jack agreed. “And your mom?”

She hated this part, people never knew what to say. “Mom died when I was 14, she was in a car accident.”

Jack leaned over and squeezed her hand. “She must have been amazing.”

“Why do you say that?” Sam wondered.

“Because it sounds like you take after her more than you do your dad.”

It was sweet and insightful. Sam turned her hand over under his, curling her fingers with Jack’s. “I do. Mom was the carer in our family. She was a teacher and she kept things normal from one deployment to the next, keeping us going on her own when dad was away for months.”

Watching as Jack caressed her palm, starting light and moving to firmer touches. Sam leant her head on her hand and Jack continued, working her palm with his knuckles and, using two hands, gently extending her fingers. It was soothing and comforting with just a little arousal built in.

When Jack came to a rest, he held her hand between both of his. “Your turn,” he prompted.

Her eyelids felt heavy after his ministrations and she sighed, before thinking of something to ask. “Do you have a favourite place on Earth?”

“I do,” and his eyes lit up as he thought of it. “My grandfather’s cabin in rural Minnesota. I’ll fly you up there, sometime.”

“I guess it’s too far to drive?” She wondered.

“Dr Carter,” Jack sensed he was on to something. “Do you not like flying?”

Ducking her head, she laughed. “No.”

“Oh dear,” Jack was amused. “This could be a deal breaker.”

“Nah,” she looked up from under her eyelashes, “Now you’ve had a taste, you’ll never stop wanting for more.”

“I think I could resist.”

Sam pushed back from the table and grabbed his dirty plate and hers, heading for the kitchen. Just before turning the corner, she looked back over her shoulder, eyes wide like they had been when she’d offered him her panty clad rear a few hours before. “But do you want to?” She shot at him, before walking on.

Goddamn. It was just as sexy when she did it in his baggy shirt and sweats.


	13. Early Bird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saccharine warning for the first half of this chapter. <3

**Early Birds**

All the extra exercise of the day and night before ensured that Jack slept soundly, even with someone else in his bed. It had crossed his mind that it might take some getting used to, but in the end exhaustion had won handily.

Waking before the alarm, he slowly shifted from sleep to consciousness and felt a surge of anticipation at being able to see Sam unguarded and asleep. As he rolled over, he found that he had left it too late. Sam was half propped up, his shirt on, scrolling through her phone. When she noticed Jack, she put the phone back on the nightstand and turned towards him on her side.

“Morning gorgeous,” she greeted him.

“That was going to be my line,” Jack complained as he slid over closer.

“Ahh. Well, you’ll have to find another. Early bird gets the worm and all that.”

“Six am is for much younger birds than me.” Jack reached for her waist and slid his hand under her shirt.

Wriggling down so that their faces were level, Sam grinned. “So I get your worm?”

Jack found a nipple and pinched it, making her twitch and laugh. “Two birds with one worm?” He suggested.

Leaning close Sam rubbed her nose against his while she found the bulge in his boxers, “A bird in the hand?”

“Is worth two in the bush?” His toes wended their way between her ankles, followed by his calf until she lifted her knee, allowing him to insert his thigh between hers.

Sam wrapped her upper leg over his hip and pulled Jack in tight against her with the foot against his rear. “Do we have time for birds and bushes?”

“I set my alarm for early.”

“A man who plans. I like it.” Sam put her lips to his and set about waking Jack up completely.

 

* * *

 

Sam let Jack shower and dress, knowing she had time to bathe, later. Putting her clothes from the day before back on, she stuffed her undies in her bag and made her way out to the kitchen, letting Sally out for her morning constitutional.

Jack’s automated coffee maker was already brewing, so she changed Sally’s water and explained carefully to her canine friend that she didn’t know where her food was, yet.

“The cupboard that she’s sitting in front of. Half a cup.” Jack appeared in the kitchen, dressed in his work slacks and shirt, his hair still shining from the shower.

“I should have guessed she would tell me where it was,” Sam replied as she bent over and measured the kibble before depositing it in Sally’s bowl. Sal looked from her to Jack, confused, and Jack chuckled.

“Ok, Sal, breakfast,” he told Sally and she began eating.

“On command. Nice. Clever girl, Sally.” Closing the cupboard, she turned towards Jack who was filling a to-go cup with coffee. She sidled up to him, trying to appear casual and reached to fondle his hair.

Jack barely paused in his routine to slide an arm around her waist while he let her stroke her fingers against his scalp. “You really do love my hair.”

“I do,” she purred, pressing in to him. Sliding her fingers down to the nape of his neck where it was trimmed the shortest, Sam pulled him in and kissed him slowly. Jack cupped her chin and let the languorous kiss spool on until she broke away.

Sam buried her face into his neck, nuzzling and Jack stroked her back with his nails. “Have dinner with me, tonight,” she asked, pulling back to rest on his shoulder.

“Restaurant or take out?”

“Don’t care. As long as we can hear each other. We have sixteen questions left.”

Jack brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “Do you want to stay, again?”

“Yes, but I’ll drive over so I can go to work from here. That ok?”

“Of course,” he squeezed her waist. “You can, I mean, I know it’s early days, but you can leave stuff here, if you want.”

“Thank you,” Sam kissed his neck. “Let me know if you need your space.”

Jack pulled away slightly so that he could meet her eyes. “I will, but I don’t think it’s going to be too hard to get used to. Although, at some point, I would like to see your house. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to believe that you live at the clinic.”

Sam chuckled, “I do have a stretcher there, in case I’m too tired to drive in the middle of the night. Or if I want to hang around to monitor a patient.”

Throwing his free hand up in mock exasperation, Jack bemoaned, “I see that I will have to get used to coming second to every stray and special case that you see.”

Laughing, Sam grabbed his hand and kissed him one more time. “You are my favourite special case.” Sally whuffed by their feet, “Ok, you’re second. Sally is first.”

“Second to my dog, again!” Jack blew raspberries on Sam’s neck and tickled her sides until Sally threatened to deafen them with her barks.


	14. Damnit, Janet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one update today. We finally meet Janet!

**Damnit, Janet**

They sat in the staff car park for a couple of minutes, reluctant to say goodbye. Finally, Sam popped the door, leaned over Sally and gave Jack a lascivious kiss. “So that it’ll last all day,” she grinned, before hugging Sally and receiving doggy kisses. “See you guys tonight.”

Jack waited until she reached her car, a sporty little classic coupe in silver, returned her wave and then drove off. Her bag on the passenger seat, phone in its phone holder, Sam had just pulled out of the lot when the phone rang. A quick glance and she grinned at the Caller ID and thumbed the answer icon.

“Hello, dearest,” Sam greeted, “Should have expected that you’d call.”

“I saw you out my office window. But I didn’t get a good look. Cassie says he’s ‘sooo your type’.” Janet was always direct.

“What is my type again?”

“Older, greying, tall. Always tall.”

Sam could hear her pouting. “I’m 6 feet tall. So what if I want someone I can make out with without getting a neck ache. Besides, I leave the height impaired ones for you.”

Janet was only 5’ 4”, Sam thought it was very reasonable that they could divide the pool of available dates into those under 5’10” and those over. It stopped them squabbling over the same people, a strategy that had worked very effectively for them in college. Not that Janet dated much after the first year, but she still window shopped.

“And he has a dog. So add it all up - and? Winner?”

Sam smiled as she recalled the last 24 hours. “Oh, yeah.”

Janet squealed a little. “Wanna have lunch together?”

“I need to go home and shower, first.”

“Ok, so that’ll take an hour. 9 am too early for you?”

Sam groaned and Janet laughed.

“Ok, ok. How about 12? I suppose I should get some work done.”

“Working is the point of being at work, no?”

“You are a mean boss.”

“Look in the mirror, Janie. I’m not your boss.”

“Damnit, I keep forgetting that. Ok, time to go and be mature. Can’t wait for lunch! Love you.”

“Love you, Janie-J.”

Janet snorted and hung up.

 

* * *

 

Humming throughout the morning, Sam tackled dog proofing her house. Once all the dog level hazards were removed, she dragged Harry’s crate out of the garage and set it up in a corner of the dining room.

A search of the cupboard turned up the cushion that fit the crate’s base, a few of Harry’s toys that she had kept and his bowls. It didn’t trouble her as much as she thought it would have. Thinking of Sally and Jack as being Harry-sent made it seem proper to share his things.

After a shower, Sam packed a bag for Jack’s house. A couple of changes of clothes, casual and work, lots of fresh underwear, a spare brush, toothbrush and toothpaste. She’d have to get an extra set of shampoo and conditioner. Or she could use Jack’s, if he didn’t mind.

She was nearly out the door when she remembered to throw in some slip on shoes and a spare pair of sneakers. Vet work required at least three pairs in rotation as they were frequently doused in various bodily fluids.

Tossing her bag on the passenger seat, Sam called Janet’s direct line. They discussed lunch options and then hung up so Janet could call in the order. Sam stopped to pick up their Italian and landed back in the staff car park, in her usual spot, at 11.45 am.

Sam snuck in the back door and took the stairs to Janet’s office. She wanted to avoid running into any of the staff. Invariably she was drawn into chit chat or case discussions and getting through the clinic could sometimes take her 45 minutes.

Janet managed the business side of the practice and had her own office next to Walter, their book keeper. Sam managed the staff, so she preferred to sit in the vet’s shared office where she could keep an ear on the people side of things. Both of them also kept clinical hours and worked the on-call rota, but the more regular office hours had been a godsend for Janet and Cassie. Sam was still having trouble believing that the little squalling thing she had held on the day she was born was going off to college in the fall.

Sam felt a sense of achievement in getting to Janet’s door undiscovered. It was half open, so she pushed her way in, dumping the food on Janet’s desk. “Drinks?” She called over her shoulder, heading to the kitchenette.

“Oh, hi Sam! It’s great to see you!” Janet yelled sarcastically after her. “And yes, please!”

Returning with a drink for each of them, Sam shut the door and began sorting their lunch into two piles before collapsing on Janet’s office couch.

“Your morning go ok?” Sam asked, pouring the dressing over her salad, although more properly it should have been called an antipasto with extra greens. Finding herself starving, Sam realised that she’d missed breakfast. She added ‘breakfast food’ to the list of things that she needed for Jack’s house.

“Two drug reps this morning, aie! Nothing new to share, just wanting to lock us into six month orders.”

Sam shrugged noncommittally and let Janet vent. Janet hated time wasting and fawning drug reps were high on her list.

“Did you get some swag for the annual party?” Sam asked. They threw a party in late October for all the staff and their families and saved the free swag that they received during the year for prizes and giveaways.

“A couple of bags, hats. Funky pens that the kids will like. It’ll pad things out.”

“Any emergencies?” Sam was halfway through her salad and Janet hadn’t started. “Eat,” She prodded.

“No, it’s been quiet, actually. No one’s come to find me all morning.” Janet finally opened her food and Sam relaxed. “Sooo, tell me everything! You spent the night.”

Sam nodded, looking exceptionally smug, and added, “Tonight, too.”

“Girl!” Janet exclaimed. “Sheesh, you move quick.”

Trying to shrug it off, Sam said, “There’s no reason to move slow.”

“Sam,” Janet admonished.

“Janie,” Sam shot back, copying her tone. “What?”

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Again ...”

“... Again,” Sam finished in unison with Janet. “Look, I’m a lot less naive than I was with Pete -“

“Thank god.”

“- and I know it’s going to sound completely nuts but this feels totally different. Y’know where he took me to hike, yesterday?” She thought maybe this would help Janet understand.

“Where?”

“To Harry’s trail. He didn’t know, but he worked it out quick. And he was just - there for me. Gentle, understanding. Soft.”

Janet’s mouth was hanging open, an unusual occurrence for the whip tongued vet.

“I showed him where we scattered his ashes and he held me and then we just walked and talked. Janet, it’s weird, but I felt like Harry was there with us.” Sam put down her fork and sipped at her drink. She was having trouble swallowing.

“Sammy.” Janet was looking at her, the only person in the universe who she would allow to look at her with that understanding pity. And the only person allowed to call her Sammy.

“Did Cass tell you his dog’s name?”

Janet shook her head.

“Sally.”

“No fucking way.” Janet was agog. “He didn’t know, right?”

“Not until I told him, nope. Do you see, Janet? This is all kinds of weird. But good weird.”

Janet smiled, “I’m happy for you, Sam. But he better watch himself. I’ll fuck him up if he hurts you.”

“He’s 6’ 2”, Janet.”

“Well, ok, I’ll fuck up his knees. He’ll hobble for the rest of his life.” That reminded her, “How old is he?”

“Early 50’s? I’ll ask him to provide you with a resume. And he’s retiring on Friday.”

“Explain,” Janet instructed her while she opened her ravioli.

“He’s an electrical engineer with Colorado Springs Utilities. But he started as some kind of high school diploma trade. Lineman, linebacker, something like that. So technically he’s been working for them since graduating high school and his 25 years are up.”

“So 53, roughly. Still keeping up in the performance department?”

“Oh, yeah.” Sam got a dopey grin that Janet hadn’t seen since college.

“Seriously. How many times?”

“Me or him?”

“Both, of course.”

Sam rolled her eyes and held up her hand. First five fingers, then three.

“Since you met him yesterday?” Janet’s voice rose on the last word.

“I met him two weeks ago. We had a date, yesterday.” Like the technicality mattered. “But yes. Damn fine man. Gorgeous, got it all and knows how to use it.”

Janet shook her head at Sam, disbelief plain on her face. “Sammy, if anyone deserves to finally have it all, it’s you.”

“I hope so,” Sam ducked her head and played with her lunch. “I hope so, because if not, the end is going to be a fucking disaster.”

“Hey, hey,” Janet moved to the couch beside her. “I’m sorry for busting your ass, earlier. Go with it, have fun. It’s good to be getting back out there.”

Sam shook her head, “No, Janie. This isn’t about getting back out there. I think this is the one.”


	15. Libertine

**Libertine**

Flicking through his closet for a second time, Jack tried to pick a shirt to wear. She favoured baby blue, so not that one. Pale mustard? No. Charcoal grey, then. As he dressed, he wondered whether it mattered and whether he should care if it mattered. Aie. Dating was hard work. He’d forgotten how much.

He was staring into the mirror, wondering whether to use product in his hair, when he heard Sally start barking in excitement. A soft voice answered her and then, much louder, “Hey Jack! Just me.”

“Hey Sam, be just a minute.” No product. She liked his hair as it was and he didn’t want to miss an opportunity to have her putting her hands in it.

Stepping in to a pair of casual shoes, Jack headed out to find Sam. Passing the kitchen, he saw a bag of groceries on the counter and then what must be her overnight bag in the hall, but no Sam. Then he spied the open back door and her beyond it, throwing a ball for Sally.

“Got your priorities round the right way, I see.” Jack stepped out on to the deck, admiring her anew. A tan A-line skirt hugged her waist, a soft cream blouse with no collar tucked into it and, on her feet, low, brown heels that showed her painted toenails. Her best accessories, a bright smile and those shining blue eyes, made his heart skip.

Sam watched the emotions pass over Jack’s face as he took her in. “As good as you remember?”

“Better,” he growled, crossing the deck in mile eating steps and capturing her mouth for a very suggestive kiss.

A moan rose up from Sam’s chest and her hands ran over his shoulders and into his hair - good call on the product - holding his mouth to hers. Eventually, they broke apart, Sam panting, forehead pressed to his, his heart beating like he had just sprinted for his life. “Better,” she agreed.

“I think that we’d better go or we’ll never make it out of the house,” Jack suggested, surprised that his sentence was coherent.

“Stupid need for food,” Sam mumbled.

“And you told me it made for better sex.”

“Damn. I hate it when I’m right like that.”

Jack laughed and she giggled. “I’ll just put Sally in her crate.”

“Excellent. I’ll drive. Meet you out front.”

The glee in her eyes should have warned him, but he had still been addled by the kiss. He tried not to white knuckle his way through the drive even though it took a supreme force of will. “Where’s the emergency?” He asked after the first few minutes.

Sam gave him a puzzled look, which helped not at all. He really preferred her eyes to be on the road ahead, not him, in this instance. Turning back to the road, she chuckled. “You fly planes, Jack.”

“Not jet fighters. And, y’know, in the air. Where there’s a lot less trees and poles and traffics signals.”

With obvious effort, she backed off a little. “Was the sports car not a hint?”

“I was thinking ‘tasteful classic’ when I saw it. I know better, now.”

“I like tasteful classics,” Sam said huskily, which should have been a lot more arousing, except that she took her eyes off the road to give him a flirty eyebrow.

“This classic would like to make it to retirement or even just to bed, tonight. I had plans.”

“Oooh, What kind of plans?” At least this time she kept her eyes where they should be.

“I’d be more comfortable if your mind was fully on driving,” Jack replied.

“The idea of a night with you is just that distracting?”

“It would be, for me.”

“Too right,” she muttered and squeezed his thigh before returning her hand to the gearstick.

 

* * *

 

The restaurant, Libertine, was a pre-fusion fusion of Vietnamese and French. Sam explained to him, as they chose appetisers, that this was the result of the French colonisation of Vietnam, followed by the immigration of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese during the Vietnam War period. How she knew so much about it became clear just a few minutes later.

“Dr Sam!” A very short Vietnamese man in his sixties bounced out of the kitchen and Sam stood up, and then bent over, to embrace him, receiving a kiss on each cheek. “You bring a new friend to meet us.”

Sam smiled, “Vinh, this is my friend Jack.” Jack rose to shake hands. Standing across from each other, Jack appeared to be twice Vinh’s size.

The difference didn’t seem to phase the smaller man, who shook hands and then looked at the pair of them. “You don’t need a menu. I make for you our best food.” Before either Jack or Sam could say anything, the menus were whisked away and Vinh had disappeared into the kitchen. Next thing, they heard him shouting something in Vietnamese.

Jack looked at Sam and flicked his eyes towards the kitchen.

“I have no idea,” she replied. “He usually lets me order from the menu.”

“So, patients of yours?” Jack speculated.

“Snakes,” Sam replied. “Reptiles are not my specialty, but I know a bit.”

“Snakes need vets?” Jack wondered.

“For sure. Obstructions, constipation, mouth infections, incomplete shedding, parasites, skin infections ... uh, maybe this isn’t good dinner talk.” Sam looked abashed.

“Let’s just avoid recounting surgery during meals. Or sex,” he added more quietly.

“There’s a host of gross things we can discuss that aren’t surgery,” Sam pointed out.

“Well none of those, either.”

Sam chuckled as another person arrived at their table, this time a tall woman, with an air of grace. “Lucienne,” Sam greeted her, standing to exchange another hug and and a double kiss. The woman was nearly as tall as Sam. “Lucienne, my friend Jack.”

Again, Jack stood to shake hands and Lucienne shook her head. “Tsk tsk, mon ami. Do it properly.” And then she embraced and kissed him twice.

Sam was trying to conceal her amusement when Lucienne turned to her. “Est-ce ton petit ami, Sam?”

“Uh,” Sam looked at Jack for a moment and back to Lucienne. “Yes, he is.”

Lucienne clapped her hands together and hurried away from the table, calling back, “Il à l’air si beau!”

Sam chuckled, “She thinks you’re handsome.”

“I guessed that one. Petit ami?” He wondered.

“Boyfriend,” Sam translated as Lucienne returned with two wine glasses and an uncorked bottle of red wine.

“Pour les amoureux,” she said, filling their glasses and giving Jack a big wink before making herself scarce.

Sam got the giggles while Jack followed Lucienne’s departure. “I only ever come here alone or with Janet. I think bringing you has them all excited.”

“They know we’re already matched, right? They don’t have to do the matchmaking.” Jack, obviously amused, was sipping the wine. “Very nice,” he declared.

Vinh was back with a plate of spring rolls and another of scallops in garlic sauce. His grin was huge, obviously Lucienne had filled him in.

“Start,” Sam told Jack, “They’ll bring out more food as it’s done or we have space. It’s communal,” she added.

They both began eating and exchanged oohs and ahhhs over their first bites. “Told you this place was marvellous,” Sam said as she found Jack’s foot under the table.

His toe twitched and brushed her ankle. “I’ll have to be careful not to eat too much or we’ll have to forgo other activities.”

“We could take a night off, if you need to rest,” she teased.

“Exercise before sleep is good,” Jack countered. “And I slept very well last night.” Beneath his boxers, his body was remembering how good the exercise had been. To avoid staring lustfully at Sam all through the meal, Jack wondered, “Who was next to ask a question?”

“You,” Sam said. “Number 7.”

“Why the tasteful classic car?”

“Because it’s beautiful. And I like silver,” Sam added, eyes flicking to his hair.

Jack thought that a psychotherapist would have a field day with the relationship between Sam’s taste in men and her taste in cars. “And it’s fun to drive?”

“Very,” she agreed. “I bought it as a present to myself for my 30th birthday.”

“Mid life crisis?” Jack teased.

“Gods, no. I’ve wanted a P1800 since I was a kid.” She looked across at Jack. “Another of my life goals achieved. My own business, house, car ...”

“Partner?” Jack wondered.

“My parents were beautiful together. I’ve wanted that same kind of relationship longer than my Volvo. As much as my dad is driven and demanding, my mom was his universe. They were very different people, but somehow, together, they were perfect.”

Sam’s fingers twirled her nearly empty glass by the stem. Jack remained quiet, sensing that she had more to say.

“He blamed himself for her death. It was related to him, but an accident is an accident. I think, for at least the first few years, my brother and I kept him alive. I remember having a sense that he didn’t want to go on living and, as an adult looking back, he went through a very dark time.”

“Maybe that’s why it mattered so much to me that I chose to do something with my life that was influenced by what he wanted. I had a sense that he was only going on living for us.”

Jack reached across the table and stroked his fingertips across the back of her hand. “You took on caring for the family after your mom died.” It was a statement, an observation.

“I suppose I did.” Sam thought on it for a while longer and then looked up. “Maybe it’s also why I have looked so hard for love and made terrible decisions about marriage. To contemplate a life without what I grew up orbiting ... that’s something that I struggled with for a long time.”

“You made it to here,” he said. “Not even talking what might be happening between us. You’ve achieved a lot and done it on your own. You didn’t need love. But I know what it’s like to crave it.”

“I’ve been asleep, Jack, for at least the past year. Now I feel like I’m waking up.”

“Or this could be a beautiful dream,” Jack smiled and his eyes crinkled just at the edges. His look was equal parts love and admiration, affection and lust.

“Then I never want to wake up.”

Jack tangled his fingers with hers and then they both pulled away as new dishes arrived and old ones were carried off.

“My turn,” Sam said. “Why do you like to fly?”

Taking a moment to fawn over the twice cooked pork belly, Jack used the time to think about his answer. “There’s not one thing. When I was young, a very long time ago, I always thought it would be interesting to be able see the world from up high. When I became a linesman, I learnt to climb and rappel and then I wanted to see things from even higher.”

“When I did get up there, it’s peaceful and quiet. The world looks both simpler and more complex and you think about things differently. It’s almost a type of meditation.”

Sam had paused, intrigued by his description. “That is completely different to how I feel about flying. I’ve never thought to try and enjoy it. I’m probably panicking too much,” she turned away, adding crispy skin duck to her plate.

“Come with me one day and I’ll show you around my plane. On the ground,” he added. “Maybe if you can trust the vehicle, you can trust the flight.”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “I’ll try. Does Sally go up with you?”

“She does. I think dogs see the plane as another vehicle, and she rides around everywhere with me already, so it’s not that different to her.”

“Well, if Sally can do it ...” she laughed nervously.

“She can be your companion animal.”

Sam grinned and relaxed some. Her toes brushed his ankle, again. “Thank you.”

“Hmm?”

“For not making fun of me.”

“If I made fun of you, you’d kidnap my dog and I’d never see either of you, again.”

Sam chuckled. “Your turn.”

“What was the last book you read?”

She looked down at her plate. “Oh dear.”

“What?”

“This is my dark secret. The last book that I read was about some of the first specialist forensic teams investigating unsolved murders.”

“So, crime novels?”

“Except they’re non-fiction. True crime, biographies. Oh, and expeditions, like Everest climbers and explorers like Shackleton.”

“So things completely different to your day job?” Jack wondered.

“Yes, but then sci-fi would also be completely different to my day job. I used to read a lot of it in high school, but once I hit college my reading became more sporadic. Vet science is a whole lot of memorisation.”

“It’s not escapism I read for, it’s keeping my brain occupied. I need something that has me thinking so hard that I don’t get distracted.”

“By work,” Jack guessed.

She rolled her eyes, mocking herself, “What else?”

Jack rubbed the back of her thigh with the toe of his shoe and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes, well. Being distracted by a certain person is new. And welcome. You are more engaging than Shackleton.”

“Nice to know I rate above a dead explorer.” He looked down at the cleared plates in front of them. “We could mount an expedition back to my place?”

“Mount?”

“Appropriate, no?” Jack caressed her hand.

“I would’ve thought explore and document. Or go where no man has gone before ...”

Jack’s eyes flashed. “Mission accepted.”


	16. Sky Full of Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another explicit chapter. 
> 
> It contains cake, stars and sexy times. If you want to skip the detail, be sure to stop by for the last 400 words or so. 
> 
> Love you all so much!
> 
> \- Sophie <3

**Sky Full of Stars**

Although they declined dessert, Lucienne and Vinh insisted they take some with them, so Jack and Sam each left with a mystery box. In the car, they peeked and Jack sighed happily at the two delicious slices of cake.

“I could get used to this.”

Sam rolled her eyes and started the car. “I can’t believe they’re spoiling you.”

“And you,” Jack pointed out, defensively. “There’s two slices.”

“They’ve never given me complimentary cake, mon petit ami.”

“Incentive to keep me, then.”

Sam shook her head and laughed.

The ride home was no less harrowing for Jack than his first time, but he began to see that Sam wasn’t reckless, just a risk-taker. He wondered if that was reflected in other parts of her life, including her sexual tastes. She had certainly been confident with him, yesterday. The memory of her leaning over and the way she had said _touch me_ still made his blood surge.

When they reached his house, Jack took Sam’s hand and they walked to the front door. “Wait here,” he told her and then ducked inside.

It was only a few minutes before Sally came bursting out the front door, followed by Jack with a blanket over his shoulder. “I’ve got something to show you.”

He led them around to the deck and then further, around a side of his house that she hadn’t seen, yet. A small staircase turned out on to a deck, big enough for a lounger and a telescope. The blanket turned out to be two blankets. Jack spread the first over the lounger and tossed the second loosely over the arm.

Sam watched all of this and smiled. “This wasn’t covered in 20 Questions.”

“You hadn’t asked the right question, yet,” Jack replied, removing the cover from the telescope. “Have you looked at the stars magnified, before?”

“Only a very weak one, back in high school.”

“Hopefully this will be better than that.” Using the controls, he set the scope up, checked the target and then gestured, “Take a look.”

Sam stood there for far longer than he expected, exclaiming softly. Finally straightening, she turned to him, “Beautiful.”

“Mars sure is. I love looking at the moon, too and thinking about how they chose the landing sites, where the astronauts walked.”

“So you like non-fiction, too.”

“I do,” he agreed. As he dialled up more planets, the moon and then a few constellations and nebulae, Sam exclaimed over each. Watching her was satisfying, like eating a good meal or finishing a great book. She was as near to perfect as he could imagine someone to be and he was finding that her company was filling a gap in his life he hadn’t thought about for a long time.

After he set up the last one for the night, Jack lay back on the lounger, looking up at the unmagnified stars above. She came to him quietly, crept up beside his body and lay back with him. It was a tight fit, but with a little overlapping they could both lie comfortably. Jack flicked the second blanket over their legs.

The quiet intimacy of night and stars, the two of them seeming alone in the universe, filled him with need. Her sudden arrival in his life had presented him both with a problem and its solution. Alone in loneliness for too long, Jack had grown numb to it. Sam, with her passion and enthusiasm, shone a light on the wonders around him that he had forgotten how to see. Now, he too, was feeling awakened and the wonder of it was nearly overwhelming.

“What are you thinking?” Sam quietly bumped at the edge of his thoughts.

“I honestly don’t know how to describe it.” Jack’s fingers moved from her shoulder to her hair, idly playing with a loose strand. “What you said before, about waking up,” he fell silent again.

“I had forgotten what it was like,” she said, after a long pause.

“Yeah,” he agreed. He felt like it was too early to tell her the rest. To tell her that he never wanted to go back to sleep, again.

Slowly, his caresses travelled, her fingers searched for his skin. Under the stars they mapped each other through clothing, her back pressed to his front, playing at the edge of desire.

Touches wandered, buttons came undone, buckles unhitched. Sam kicked off her shoes, Jack unhooked her bra and she sat to slip it off, camp style, leaving her blouse in place. Sam turned towards him and wiggled down the lounger, until her hips were by his knees.

Tracing a pattern up the inside of his leg, Sam’s touch worked its way gradually higher. Jack shifted his position, laying back, hips horizontal, grasping the discarded blanket and turning it into a makeshift pillow. Desire rushed through Sam as he spread his legs, outlining the bulge at his groin.

Sam watched Jack’s face as her fingers found the centre seam of his trousers and they dipped lower, lightly fondling Jack’s testicles through the fabric. Lips parted, Jack’s chest rose as he breathed in deeply. When she cupped him, he pressed into her hand, moaning, the sudden sound loud in the night. With a gentle squeeze, she left his groin, fingers resuming their journey down the inside of his other thigh. Jack licked his lips audibly and then she heard her name, husky and low and wanting.

“Sam.”

With the back of her fingers, Sam trailed back up to his groin, brushing over his erection and then opening his fly. Tugging on his pants, fabric in each hand, she asked him, “Up,” and when his hips lifted she pulled the garment free. Shifting to her knees, she helped Jack free his legs.

From kneeling, she nudged his calves apart and Jack willingly shifted. Sam placed her hands just above his knees, and stroked firmly upwards, thumb and fingers pressing into his skin and sliding under the hem of his boxers.

Jack watched her, blouse unbuttoned, a curve of breast barely visible in the moonlight. Her face lifted at the same moment her fingertips reached his hips and she fixed her eyes on his. As Sam’s fingers crept closer to his centre, he willed his hips to stay still and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. The corner of her mouth quirked in response and he moaned.

Sam turned her hands until they were palm up, gripped his boxers from inside and spoke. “Time for these to go.” Jack lifted for her and she eased the waistband over his erect penis and then removed his underwear completely. As she retook her position between his knees, Sam’s lips laid kisses against his skin and fingers danced along the outside of his thighs.

The tension inside him began to coalesce, slowly drawing into his groin. Jack couldn’t remember the last time a mouth had touched his penis and the idea that Sam might kiss him, lick him, take him between her lips already had him straining.

The kisses circumvented the target he hoped for, and her soft lips brushed the sensitive skin over his hip. Her warm breath glided over his night cool skin and Jack reached for her, fingertips brushing the crown of her head. Suddenly, pain, and her teeth were on him biting, sucking, marking him. His hips bucked against her and he cursed. “Holy fuck,” and the pain slid into pleasure as her tongue ran over the tortured skin, soothing and pressing over the mark, stoking the ache just enough. Precum leaked from his tip.

Briefly, Jack closed his eyes and focused on pulling air into his lungs, settling the surge of need that was making his pulse throb. Sam’s fingers at his waist brought him back and he opened his eyes to her gazing up at him, mouth dangerously close to his tip. Her hand stroked him, coming to grasp the base of his shaft and then her tongue swiped over his head. He saw her head loll back before she returned to lick him again, the thumb of her hand brushing over the underside of his cock.

“So good,” she purred, making his toes curl and then brought her mouth to his head and captured him in her lips. Jack hadn’t expected how sensual Sam’s touch would be. She dragged his pleasure out, applying pressure, then gentle kisses, stroking him hard and long until his hips were thrusting upwards and then gentling him with soft words against his sensitive skin. Sometimes she would leave the territory of his erection all together, nudge his legs further apart and tongue the skin of his testicles, stroke his perineum with her finger tip and take a testicle into her mouth.

The final time, his erection was back in her mouth, the heel of her tongue massaging his head, hand wrapped around his base and her thumb stroking him firmly. Her body trapped one of his thighs, her hand pressed down on the other and Jack was thankful because he was steadily losing control. He gripped her shoulder with one hand and the arm of the lounger with the other.

“Sam ... Sam ... Sam ...” her name was a litany, the strength of Jack’s voice fading the closer she drew him to release. He felt the tightening, coiling like a spring and called to her. “Close, oh god ...” and then all his penis felt was cool air, the wetness from her mouth evaporating and leaving him suspended, so close to release that he twitched desperately.

“Jesus fucking christ,” Jack whimpered. She was gone and he tried to focus, hearing the soft rustling of fabric falling. Then she was over him, running her hand up his chest and he reflexively pulled her to his groin and felt her bare skin, silky and warm under his hand. Sam let him draw her close enough for her own hairs to tickle his hypersensitive penis and then leaned over him, her mouth pressing against his, seeking entry and drawing him into a long kiss, doing to him with her tongue what he wanted to do to her with his dick.

Jack tried to urge her hips closer to his, gripping her ass but she resisted, instead pressing her chest to his, skin and fabric coarse and soft between them. Sam pushed herself up again, breaking contact, the warmth of her body brushing at his hypersensitive skin.

“Shall I ride you, Jack? Sit on your hard cock and take my pleasure until I come?”

Good god, he couldn’t breathe, or maybe his heart had stopped. Jack ground his ass against the lounger, trying to hold himself back from grabbing Sam and pulling her down on him.

“Sam,” he moaned, “So hard. You’re going to love it.”

“Am I?” Sam leant down until her breath brushed his ear. “Am I going to love your perfect cock?”

Jack whimpered again. He couldn’t ever remember being reduced to such desperation. “Only for you. So hard, only for you. I need to ... let me ... _please_.”

“I don’t know,” Sam pulled away a little. “You seem awfully close to losing your load.”

Goddamn, if she kept talking to him like this, dirty and fucking hot, he just might. “Let me, please.” Jack slid his hand from her ass, brushing her hip and sliding his fingers down to touch her lips. She was wet everywhere and he whimpered again as his fingers were coated in her slick juices. With his hand on her ass, he urged her hips a little higher until he could trace a figure eight with two fingers, circling her entrance and then her clit.

“You’re so wet, Sam, you’re running down my fingers.” Lifting his head, he sought her mouth, sliding his tongue into her at the same time as he teased her entrance, slipping the first joint of his two fingers inside her, tracing, stroking the sensitive rim.

Groaning, she arched her back and Jack pressed his fingers in further, sliding them against her. “Just a taste, just the beginning. Soon, you’ll ride my thick cock, deep inside you,” he pushed his fingers as far as he could into her, holding her against his hand with the grip on her ass. “You’ll grind into me,” the heel of his hand rubbed against her clit. Dropping his voice to almost a whisper, “You’ll suck my fingers and taste yourself until you come. And then I’ll give you everything, all my hot, white cum until there’s nothing left.”

Now she was the whimpering one, pressing herself onto his fingers. “Jack, help me,” she asked, moving her knees to either side of his hips. He slowly drew his fingers from her, feeling her muscles twitch and grasped himself, meeting her as she lowered her hips. Sam was breathing hard, little moans coming with each breath, but her descent was controlled and once he was at her entrance, she took him in ever so slowly until, with a final grunt, her hips met his.

“I’m yours. All yours. Ride me.”

She was bent above him, arched back, her open blouse falling away, breasts naked in the moonlight. He wanted her to move and could probably have started her if he’d twitched his hips, but in this moment he would rather watch the rise and fall of her breasts, the way her mouth was open, lips parted, the tip of her tongue visible at one corner.

His first indication was the deep intake of breath and then she rose slowly, using only her knees, bringing her hand to her stomach to graze across the pale skin. Reaching the top of his length, she gracefully resheathed him and her head came forward, hands moving to his shoulders, her eyes taking him in, searching his face. As she rose up again, his lips began to move, his tongue flowing with the words she drew from him.

“You’re so beautiful. I can’t stop looking at you. Just picturing you makes me hard, makes me want you so fierce. Oh,” he gasped as she dropped down on him, fast and began to pick up speed.

“I’ve never met someone like you. So smart, I love to hear you laugh. So connected. Do you feel it, Sam? Do you feel how fucking connected we are?” As she stroked down again, he lifted his hips to meet hers and was rewarded with her curses.

“Fuck, Jack. Of course I fucking feel it. I can’t stop feeling like this is what we were made for. Fucking,” she slammed down on to him and rose up again, “And fucking,” again, “For forever. Until our hearts fucking explode.”

Jack circled his hips in the small amount of room he had between her knees and she faltered, whining until he helped her find her rhythm again. Sam’s muscles squeezed around him and he tried to decide between her clit or her mouth and then chose the later, reaching for her cheek, stroking her skin with the fingers rich in her scent. Jack brought them to her mouth, sliding over her bottom lip and then she was sucking her taste from his fingers like she had drawn his precum from his dick.

“You taste so good, don’t you? I could lick you all day, my tongue against your wet lips, sucking on on your clit.” The moan that vibrated against his fingers was deep and throaty and he guessed she was close, he was learning her signs.

“Let me hear you, let me hear you come, riding my cock, sucking my fingers, tasting yourself.”

Sam moaned, her head twisting as her back arched, losing his fingers as she tipped back and cried out to the stars. “I’m going to come. Come so hard ... your perfect ... cock ... Oh, _Jack_.”

His name on her lips was something primal and Jack felt himself drawn in sharply in response and then he was pulsing and soaring, hot and cold as all his nerve endings were afire. Then floating, slowly descending, holding on to the body over his, drawing her to his chest, his hands grounding her, grounding him with her. Wisps of hair that had escaped her disheveled braid brushing his shoulder and neck, his lips against her ear, her fingers sliding through his hair. Starved for air, they lay locked together, chests heaving.

As peace descended, Jack gripped his arms around her tightly and rolled them to their sides, regrettably losing his position inside her, but he now had better access to her mouth and neck, and he gentled both with his lips and fingers.

“That was, incredible,” her soft whisper came to him.

“Never,” he replied. “Never like this. Before.”

A warm wetness was against his shoulder and he took a moment to recognise it. He stroked Sam’s cheek, “You ok?”

“Yes.” There was laughter in her voice and Jack relaxed. “All emotions, feeling so much.”

His heart tightened. “Yeah,” he agreed, “My stomach is all butterflies.”

Sam reached for his belly and gently stroked over it. “Jack,” she spoke after a long time in silence, her hand moving over his stomach and chest.

“Sam?” He prompted her a few minutes later, when nothing else had followed his name.

“I want to stay like this forever.”

Jack kissed her hair. “I know. Is it too soon?”

“For what?” Sam asked.

“To say ‘I love you’?”

She gave it thought and if it weren’t for the way she stayed relaxed in his arms, caressing his side, he might have truly worried.

“A few days ago, I wouldn’t have said that I trusted myself to know.” She moved her head so that she could see his face, even though it was mostly in shadow. “But if this isn’t love, perfect love, then what is?”

Jack smiled, brushed his nose to hers and spoke. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Jack.” And she kissed him, fingers in his hair, silver, like the moonlight.


	17. Early Mornings, Late Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know many of you have been waiting to see some familiar faces. Thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> \- Sophie <3

**Early Mornings, Late Nights**

On Tuesday and Thursday, they slept at his house. She was at work until 10 or 11 and let herself in, showered and slid into bed beside him, curling her exhausted body into his.

On Tuesday night, Jack had tried to chat, her cheek resting on his shoulder, but he soon realised that, after a 14 hour day, the only capacity Sam had was one for sleep.

On Thursday night, when her damp body lay down beside him and she smelled of patchouli and wet hair, he had kissed her softly and run his fingers over her back until she fell asleep. In the morning, he woke her with kisses and sweet words and afterwards she told him about the day before and he told her about the plans for later that night.

On Wednesday night she proved to him that she did indeed have a house that she occasionally slept in and he brought Sally over to spend the night. Jack had walked in on her attempting to cook ... well, it had vegetables and meat and possibly pasta, though it was unrecognisable by the time he got there.

Sam had been encouraged to watch as he raided freezer, fridge and pantry and pulled together a meatloaf, topped with ketchup. It was served with tater tot casserole, which wasn’t to Jack’s usual standards. He promised her that one day soon he would make her a proper Minnesotan Hotdish. While both dishes cooked in the oven, Sam took Sally and Jack outside to play in the yard.

Much smaller than her home yard, Sally was still eager to explore. Jack and Sam sat on the porch swing, sipping two different brands of beer and throwing the occasional ball for Sally. Sam confessed that she ate takeout or microwave meals most nights, her workaholic nature preferring ease over either taste or nutrition. Jack learned that she ran three or four times a week, which was probably how she survived her diet of TV dinners and soda. Until meeting Jack, Sam’s only hard and fast time for herself were those runs, even if they were snatched between shifts at work.

When he carved off a slice of meatloaf for Sally, Sam admonished that it was probably too salty for her. Jack nudged her with his hip, while reminding Sam that if anyone probably had too much salt in their diet it was more likely to be her than Sally.

Over dinner, Jack convinced her to come to his retirement party on Friday night. After reassurances that his ex-wife was not invited, Sam accepted. She was going to meet his friends sooner or later, though she kept to herself her concern that his friends might object to his age-gap, moving-too-fast relationship. Sally wove between their legs under the table, accepted smuggled pieces of meatloaf from them both and then went to sleep off the excitement in Harry’s old crate.

They put on a TV show and promptly ignored it while Jack made her come on the couch, fingers and mouth drawing out her orgasm almost until the credits rolled. When he finally did permit her release, her scream woke Sally, who bounded into the room, barking at whatever intruder dared to make such a tortured noise. Jack laughed while Sam blushed until she saw the funny side and then all three snuggled up for a while and watched whatever was on next. It didn’t matter what, just that they were together.

As sleep crept closer, they put Sally to bed, loaded the dishwasher and then Sam introduced Jack to the joys, and pleasures, of a double shower. He soon discovered that she had an against the shower wall fantasy and so he did his best to both fulfil and improve on it, pushing her breasts against the tiles and filling her from behind.

Afterwards, he had to hold her there until she could walk again. He sat her down on the bath stool and towelled her dry, rubbing her hair with the cloth until it was merely damp. Then he guided her between the sheets and put himself at her back, his body pressed to hers and he gentled her until they both slept.

 

* * *

 

Sam stopped by Janet’s office on her way out.

“This ok?” She asked her friend, “Jack said nice, but not too dressy.”

Janet took in Sam’s figure hugging navy slacks and the matching sleeveless, drape neck top. Sam turned, and Janet admired the deeper dip on the reverse side and Sam’s hair, swept up in a French roll, baring her skin from nape to the hollow of her back.

“Do you even want to go to this thing? Or are you planning on Jack taking you straight to bed?”

Giggling, Sam ducked her head. “I want to make a good impression on his friends.”

“They’re going to be jealous as all hell. And Jack’s going to love that.”

“You haven’t even met him, yet.”

“Doesn’t matter. Anyone would be sick with delight to have you on their arm. Even me, girl.”

Sam poked her tongue out at Janet, who was openly bi and occasionally flirted with her for fun. Or to keep in practice. “Next week,” she promised. “I’ll bring him over for dinner.”

“You better. Cass is going to explode if you don’t.”

“You mean that you are,” she shot back and grabbed her overnight bag off Janet’s couch. “Well, my chariot awaits.”

“Have a fabulous time and fuck his brains out.”

“Janie!” Sam admonished as she left. “I’m gonna let him do mine, first.”

“Good girl!” Janet called as Sam shut the door behind her.

Sam took the stairs slightly slower than usual, conscious of the slippery flats she wore. Outside, Jack was waiting for her, leaning against the passenger side of his truck. He straightened as Sam approached and pointedly looked her over. Sam was sure she saw his tongue flick over his bottom lip and she felt like doing the same. The charcoal suit fit Jack’s shoulders perfectly and the silver shirt he wore beneath was just the right shade to match his hair.

“You look delicious,” Sam told him, reaching for a kiss and, of course, stroking his hair.

“Not as hot as you.” Jack’s arms slid around her waist, fingertips brushing her ass. “Let’s just skip this thing and go home.” First nuzzling her cheek, he laid a long kiss behind the corner of her jaw, where he knew it would amp her up.

Sam laughed and squirmed, “Janet said you’d suggest that.”

“Any idiot would suggest that, looking at you.” His fingers slid lower, cupping her rear as he brushed his nose along the curve of neck and shoulder. “But only I know that you’re everything that look promises and more.” Nibbling gently along her skin, Jack returned to her jaw.

“Anticipation,” she whispered back, “Heightens desire.” Sam leaned into him, thigh between his legs. “After we go to this thing, I’m going to take you home and ...” She stepped back, reaching for the door handle.

“And what?” Jack asked as she placed a foot on the running board, his right hand holding the door for her.

“I’ll tell you later.” She reached for the seatbelt and saw him still standing there, eyes fixed on her. “Let’s go, mon petit ami. Sooner there, sooner home.”

Jack shut the door for her and adjusted the fit of his pants as he walked around the truck. How he was going to hide his erection for the rest of the night, he had no idea.

A private room at a local community club had been hired for the party with an open bar laid on by CSU. Jack began by introducing Sam to a few key people, those he considered his closest friends.

There was Sly Siler, manager of technical operations, “Fixing everything that breaks,” he explained to her. Then Cam Mitchell, Jack’s replacement, a new hire from the East Coast. “Wish you weren’t leaving, Jack. I’ll miss working with the best.” Jack assured him that he could drop him a line whenever needed.

“He’ll be fine,” Jack told Sam, “Just needs to have more confidence in himself.” He steered her towards a much older gentleman, seated at a table, Sam guessed he was about the age of her father. “George,” Jack greeted him warmly with a handshake, “I want you to meet Sam, my girlfriend.”

It gave her a little thrill to hear Jack say it and she reached her hand out to George, smiling widely. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

George took her hand, his touch firm but gentle. “Forgive me if I don’t get up, Sam. My old heart isn’t as strong as it used to be.” He patted his chest and looked up at Jack, “Get us a couple of drinks, will you? Sam’ll be safe with me. Why don’t you take a seat, young lady?”

Shaking his head, Jack chuckled, “I’m confident that Sam can take care of herself. But she might like your company, George. What would you like?” He asked Sam.

Seating herself next to George, Sam looked up at Jack, “White, please.” Jack’s fingers brushed the nape of her neck and he turned towards the bar. Sam watched him leave and then remembered that she was supposed to be chatting.

“How do you know Jack, sir?” She asked the bald gentleman. Sam guessed that he must have once carried more weight, his skin looked too loose for him.

“George, please. I hired him and trained him and tried to beat the wild out of him.” He chuckled at the memory. “Live wire, he was, challenged everything, always saying he knew a better way. Got himself into more than a few scrapes, fortunately I was there to get him out of most of them.”

That made Sam grin. “Yes, I’ve heard tell of his insubordinate nature.”

“But not experienced it, yet? Jack must still be on his best behaviour for you.”

“Oh, he is. But I’m on the lookout. And I have my ways of keeping him in line,” she winked.

“I can imagine that you do. You’ll probably have an easier time with him than I did. It took me a long time to convince Jack that instead of thinking up ways around the rules, he should make them.”

“So he has you to thank for encouraging him to go to college?” Sam shifted a little closer to hear George better.

“Not only me. The company saw a lot of potential in him from the get-go, but getting him to see it was the hard part. Intuitively brilliant, just needed the discipline of an education.”

Jack returned, carrying three drinks, white wine for Sam and two tumblers of scotch. “I’d like to think that I’m an education all by myself,” he said, handing George a tumbler.

“To the lovely lady,” George proposed a toast to Sam, Jack joining in.

Surprised, Sam’s eyes skittered away. “Thank you,” she murmured into her glass.

“How’d you manage to catch the eye of one so lovely,” George asked Jack.

“My dashing good looks,” Jack answered.

“Sally,” Sam answered at the same time.

“It’s always the dog,” Jack rolled his eyes and Sam laughed.

“I’m a vet,” Sam explained to George, “Jack brought Sally to see me and, y’know, sparks, fireworks. All the good stuff,” she shared, conspiratorially. “Sally and I were made for each other. Of course, Jack took longer to convince.”

“I asked you out,” he protested.

“Technically, Sally and you asked me out. I remember, ‘ _We_ would like to see you ...’”

A deep hearty laugh came from the man between them. “Some advice, Jack, never argue with the lady wife.”

Sam laughed while Jack flailed. “Well, Sam’s, sir, perhaps, not, yet ...”

“Ah, I’m just pulling your leg, Jack. Never argue with a lady, full stop.” He winked at Sam.

Jack and George shifted on to safer ground, discussing CSU, old colleagues and the latest strategies that the company was putting in to place. They would occasionally be interrupted by someone stopping to wish Jack well, but then resumed right where they had left off.

Catching her eye, Jack raised an eyebrow at her in question and she shook her head with a smile. She didn’t need to be entertained. Instead, she excused herself and browsed the buffet, filling two plates with a range of nibbly things. Bringing them back to the table, she set one in front of George, took something that she hoped was a mini quiche from the other plate and passed the rest to Jack. Analysing the rate at which George and Jack had cleared their plates, Sam was planning another run to the buffet when Jack leapt to his feet.

“Daniel,” he called, taking the sandy haired man’s hand as he approached. “Wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”

“Well, you know me, Jack, can’t stand to miss a party,” Daniel replied, looking like he would rather be anywhere else. His eyes scanned over the other two people with Jack. “George, good to see you again,” he shook the bald man’s hand. “And?” He looked between Sam and Jack.

“Sam, this is Daniel. Daniel, Sam,” Jack introduced.

“Future wife,” George quipped from his seat. Sam suspected it was just to see Jack blanch, again.

“Hi Daniel, it’s nice to meet you,” Sam covered for Jack while rising and offering him her hand.

“Yes, it is,” Daniel slowly mused, watching Jack’s reaction and then giving Sam a proper look up and down. Sam got the impression that, of all the men in the room, he hadn’t actually noticed her as a female of the species until George’s quip.

“I was just going to replenish the guys’ plates. Would you like to check out the buffet with me?” Sam offered to Daniel. “Or the bar is open.”

“Ah, I’ll grab a drink later but I could look at the food.” Daniel was still trying to work out what was going on and Sam thought that perhaps Jack didn’t want to provide a full explanation in front of George.

Sam reached for George’s plate and then Jack’s. “Let’s go forage,” she said to Daniel, leading the way. She took a few steps and let Daniel catch up with her before continuing.

“Jack’s told me a lot about you,” Sam said to him as they arrived at the buffet. She refilled the two plates and then tried to juggle a third, for herself.

“Here, let me,” Daniel offered, taking one of the already filled plates. “That’s interesting because, no offence intended, I have heard nothing about you.”

“Ah, yes.” Sam wondered what to say, but it was clear from the way that Jack spoke about him that Daniel was one of his closest friends. “It’s all been a bit whirlwind. Jack brought Sally in to my clinic a few weeks ago and, we hit it off.” She shrugged, trying to look confident.

“Oh,” Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. “He did say something. You’re Dr Sam?”

“That’s me. Dr Sam Carter.”

“Huh. Well, that explains it. Jack was babbling on to me a few weeks ago.”

“Babbling?” She wondered. Jack didn’t seem the babbling type.

“About Sally. He was very concerned but said that the wonderful Dr Sam was taking care of her. And something about a ‘big guy’ called T?”

“T would be Teal’c, one of our vet nurses. He and Sally hit it off.”

“As did you and Jack,” Daniel observed.

“That took a little longer,” Sam said, mildly.

“Not much,” Daniel retorted, implying something, although Sam couldn’t imagine what.

“Well, no. I suppose not,” Sam began making her way back across the room to Jack and George who were still deep in conversation.

“Sam,” Daniel called her name and hurried after her, stepping in her way. “I, I’m sorry. That was rather tactless of me. I’m just surprised, is all. Jack doesn’t ... take dates out and introduce them around. I barely know if he’s had a date in the past seven years.”

Sam gave him a smile, for Jack’s sake. “I understand that it seems to have happened rather fast.”

“I only spoke to him last week.” Daniel looked over at Jack, before continuing. “Jack’s been very closed off since his divorce. After he and Sara split up, he went through some really dark times.”

Sam watched Daniel carefully, his discomfort at talking about Jack’s past struggles clear. “You’re worried that could happen again.”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ll leave it to Jack to tell you, but I felt I owed you an explanation for my rudeness.” Daniel’s brow was creased and he couldn’t meet her eyes.

“I understand,” Sam reassured him. “And things have happened fast. I can’t give you proof of my intentions, but please be assured that I only want the best for him, for both of us. And for Sally,” she added, the corner of her mouth quirking.

Daniel gave her a reflexive smile, at least looking at her now.

“Please tell me if there’s anything I can do for him.”

This time, he held her eyes and then nodded, “Alright.”

“Why don’t we start again. I’m Sam, personal vet to the lovely Sally and Jack’s new girlfriend.” She looked at him squarely, eyebrow raised and gave him a prompting nod.

“Daniel. Cultural consultant and anthropologist. And Jack’s friend.”

He was close to Sam’s age, with deep eyes, at least when he wasn’t scowling at her through his glasses. His hair was sandy brown and a bit unkempt, which Daniel seemed to know as he kept running his hand through it. Dressed in dark olive chinos, a button down shirt and khaki jacket, he looked like he took some care with his appearance, if in a restrained colour palette.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” Sam told him. “Why don’t we give Jack and George their food and you can tell me more about what you do. What Jack has told me about what you’re working on together sounds very interesting.”

Slow to react, Daniel was still standing still as Sam began to walk away.

Turning back, Sam told him, “You really will like me when you get to know me. C’mon.” This time she walked away and didn’t look back. By the time she had given George his plate, Daniel had caught up. Sam indicated the plate that he had taken from her at the buffet, “That’s for Jack.”

“Right,” Daniel thrust it in Jack’s general direction, who took it in surprise.

When Sam sat down on the opposite side of the table and looked expectantly at Daniel, Jack tilted his head in question. She shook her head in response and mouthed, ‘It’s ok’.

Daniel, with little other option than to offend his friend by ignoring his date or sit next to Sam, sat next to Sam. She had to work hard, at first, to get him to open up, but once she proved to be both intelligent and interested, Daniel began describing the work that he did with the various Native American Nations in Colorado and how Jack would be involved in various infrastructure improvement projects.

Before she knew it, nearly an hour had passed and George and Jack seemed sufficiently caught up. The music had changed from upbeat to something more suitable for chatting and mixing. Sam watched as George looked her way and then said something to Jack, who nodded. Jack came over to her and Daniel.

“Danny, can I steal Sam away for a dance?” He held his hand out to her.

“Uh, sure, Jack.” Danny stopped in the middle of a story as his audience got to her feet

Sam shook her head, amused, meeting Jack’s eyes.

“Sorry, Danny,” Jack said over his shoulder as he walked hand in hand with Sam to the small dance floor at the other end of the room. There were only a few other couples dancing. Sam suspected that most of the women were wives and girlfriends. Jack had introduced her to just a few female colleagues.

Jack slid his arm around her waist, pulling her in close, leading her in a simple, slow circuit of the floor. Feeling herself relax at his touch, Sam let him guide their steps until the song ended. The next song started and Sam recognised Seal’s ‘ _Kiss From a Rose_ ’. When she put both arms around his neck, Jack pulled her in close.

“I haven’t heard this since Senior Prom,” Sam murmured.

Her hair fluttered as Jack chuckled. “I was married the last time that I heard this.”

“A good or bad memory?”

Jack’s thumbs caressed the small of her back. “A new good memory,” he told Sam, angling to kiss her, mindful of their audience.

Fingers caressing the nape of his neck, Sam smiled as they parted lips. “Nice,” she murmured.

“Very nice,” he replied. He splayed his fingers where they rested on her back. “Everything ok with Daniel?”

“Mmhmm,” Sam nodded, pondering what to say, wary of putting Jack in a position at odds with either her or Daniel. “He’s protective. Of you,” she clarified.

“Ah.” Jack paused, “That might be a little bit my fault. I, uh, I’ve been too preoccupied to call him this week. And before that I hadn’t told him much. I wanted to keep my feelings to myself in case things didn’t work out.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll apologise to him later.”

“It’s alright now, I think. I don’t know if he’d give me a 5 star rating but we’re talking and he is genuinely interesting.” Sam brought her hands forward to either side of his neck. “I want to be friends with your friends. Especially Daniel, because I can see you two are close. And I need to get him to like me before he finds out that I’m scared of flying. It might be a dealbreaker,” she winked at Jack.

Laughing, he kissed her, again. “We’ll find a way to get you comfortable. Small plane flying is completely different to commercial jets. We get access to all kinds of interesting little towns and airports. It’s like going out for a Sunday drive, just you go further.”

“I’m not saying yes, but I’ll try,” Sam promised.

Pulling her close, Jack pressed his cheek to her hair and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Try is all you can do. Sam?”

“What?” She asked softly, tucking her nose in against his neck.

“I love you.” The arms around her squeezed her close, one of his hands finding her shoulder and she felt completely enveloped. He’d told her at least once a day since Monday and it was still new and thrilling to hear.

Closing her eyes, she sighed happily. “I love you, too.”

They danced through another song and then Jack reluctantly returned to thanking his colleagues and friends for coming. People started leaving, shaking hands and wishing Jack all the best. _Stay in touch, come visit us any time_ was repeated over and over.

Near midnight, Sam and Jack walked hand in hand back to his truck. He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close, nuzzling her hair.

“Thank you,” he mumbled against her scalp.

“I made it, and didn’t offend anyone. And some of your friends are quite nice.”

“Daniel?” He chuckled.

“Daniel will be fine, once he catches on that I’m not looking for a sugar daddy.”

Jack laughed loudly enough for it to echo across the car park. “You’re not serious.”

“Well,” Sam equivocated, “There’s something about me he’s uncomfortable with. He seemed very concerned about you getting hurt.”

“Ah,” Jack stiffened in her embrace. “He’s been my friend for a long time.”

“Yes,” Sam agreed. “He’s not, maybe, into you?” She wondered, trying to figure out if she’d picked up a sexual vibe from him in relation to Jack.

Jack paused and thought. “I wouldn’t say I was a hundred percent sure the answer’s no, but I don’t think so. It’s probably more because I was very, very depressed after Charlie was killed and Sara and I split. He got me through that. Some days it felt like he only just managed to keep me holding on.”

Sam ran her hands firmly over Jack’s shoulders. “Then I have a lot to thank him for,” she kissed the line of his jaw. “And he is right to be protective of you, that doesn’t worry me. I know how I feel about you, Daniel just needs time to see that.”

“He’ll come around,” Jack agreed. His fingers wandered along the waistband of her pants, finding the edge of her top and trailing up her sides. “I’m a man of leisure, now. Let’s go and be leisurely.”

“Leisurely, you say? That sounds so quiet and peaceful.”

Jack didn’t need to see her face to know Sam was teasing. “Oh, it’ll be quiet and peaceful. After.” One hand cupped her breast, thumb running over her nipple, his head dipping to her throat and sucking gently.

Humming with pleasure, Sam brushed her hand across the front of his pants. “That’s neither quiet, nor peaceful,” she observed.

“It will be when I’m done with you. Let’s go home, Sam,” he whispered into her hair, hand still fondling her breast.

“You’re driving,” she reminded him, groping his pocket for the keys.

“Right, darn it. Inventing a teleportation machine is first on my retirement list.” He helped Sam into her seat before going around to his door.

“You’ve only got two weeks of retirement, you better work fast.”

“Hmm, invent teleportation machine or spend two weeks in bed with my extremely hot girlfriend ...”

“I have to go to work some of the time.”

“Oh well, then. Piece of cake. Mmm, cake.”

Sam laughed as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed home to Jack’s house.


	18. Faith

**Faith**

Sam was in the shower when her phone rang just after 6 am on Saturday morning. Pulling himself over to her side of the bed, Jack tried to grab it before it ran out of rings. Sam had it set to silent, so either the same number had called three times or it was someone on her emergency list.

“Hello, Dr Sam’s phone.”

“Hello,” a deep baritone intoned. “May I speak with Dr Sam, please?”

“Is that T?” Jack asked, sliding out of bed. “Let me see if she’s out of the shower, yet.”

“It is I,” Teal’c confirmed. “Thank you. It is most urgent.”

Jack pushed open the bathroom door and moved the phone away from his mouth. The water was still on, so Jack raised his voice. “Sam, T’s on the phone. Says it’s urgent.”

The water stopped and Sam grabbed for a towel, wiping at the side of her face and then reaching out to Jack, who handed her the phone. “Thanks. Hello, T?”

Jack left the bathroom while Sam was talking to Teal’c and started getting dressed. They’d left her car at the clinic last night and he had been planning to drive her in to work in about an hour. If there was an emergency, she might need to go in now.

Once he had on sweats and a tee, Jack padded out to the kitchen, let Sally out to run around the yard and got the coffee maker started. Sally had just returned, nosing around for breakfast when Sam appeared, obviously dressed for work.

“Sorry, Jack. I need to go in early. One of my surgeries from yesterday is looking bad. T found her when he started his shift.”

Jack indicated the coffee maker, which had just started to add boiling water to the grounds. “Already on it. What do you want to eat?”

Pulling socks out of her sneakers, Sam realised that she had dropped one somewhere. “Uh, anything I can eat on the way?” She called to him as she retraced her steps to the bedroom.

Looking through cupboards, Jack found some instant oatmeal and added milk before putting it in the microwave. Sam returned just as the microwave beeped and the coffee maker finished. She moved to fill the car mug that Jack had bought her, and Jack’s mug, adding half ‘n’ half and sugar and capping them off.

As the fridge door was closing, Jack blocked it and swung it open again, digging in the drawer for some berries and grabbing a pot of yoghurt. While Sam checked her work bag to be sure she had everything, Jack’s nimble hands sliced berries and a banana into the bowl and poured the yoghurt on top. He shoved a spoon in the plastic bowl and looked to Sam.

“Ready?” He asked, offering her the bowl. “You eat, I’ll drive.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” she replied, taking the bowl from Jack as he kissed her forehead.

Grabbing the two coffee mugs and his truck keys, Jack stepped into his slip ons from the night before and called to Sally.

Once on the road, she was back on the phone, eating in between calls. Jack heard talk of fluids and transfusions as she spoke to Janet and then Teal’c again. “Yeah, I’ll call Jen. No, no, get Jonas in there and ... he might have to cover my clinic anyway ... yes. What time is it? ... Anise starts at 7 so there’s no point in calling anyone else. Ok ... ten minutes.”

Sam gave Jack a wan smile and began to apologise.

He waved her off, “It’s alright. This is what you do. Call whoever you need to call next.”

She took a breath, shovelled in a spoonful of oatmeal and scrolled through the contacts on her phone. Chasing the oatmeal with a gulp of coffee, she waited for someone to answer. “Jen? Hey, it’s Sam. Have you left, yet? ... Oh good. Can you bring Pip in with you? We might need a transfusion ... Yeah. T found her ... thank you! See you soon.”

Hanging up, she leaned back in her seat, hand ruffling Sally’s fur.

Jack glanced at Sam and prodded the bowl in her lap. “Eat. Sounds like you’ll hit the ground running.”

Nodding, Sam, scooped up another spoonful. “Thank you, this is great. Normally I would’ve just grabbed a power bar.”

“Well, this should last you most of the morning. Is a transfusion what I think it is?”

“Mmhmm,” Sam agreed, swallowing another mouthful of coffee. “Mostly it’s for dogs. Amongst the staff we have regular donor dogs who we bring in when needed. Jen’s going to bring in her dog, Pip. Not sure if it’s necessary, yet, but it’s better to have the option.”

Jack shook his head in amazement. “What you guys can do is beyond belief.”

“If it can be done for a human, then there’s a good chance there’s an animal equivalent. At least amongst dogs and cats. Horse medicine is also quite advanced and expensive farm stock, like cows, pigs and sheep have some pretty up to date procedures, as well. Only problem is the cost,” Sam reflected. “Most pet health care policies are a rip off. There’s minimal regulation, unlike for human health care plans. Replacing a hip or treating an animal for cancer can cost upwards of four thousand dollars. That’s a lot for an elderly person or a young family to afford.”

Reaching over Sally, Jack squeezed her shoulder. “I know. And I also know you and Janet do a lot pro-bono. You guys do good work.” Jack turned into the staff car park and leaned over to kiss Sam. “I know you’ll do your best. I love you and I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Sam closed her eyes for a moment and leaned into Jack’s kiss. “Love you,” she whispered back, ran her fingers over Sally’s ears and slid out of the truck, leaving her empty bowl behind.

 

* * *

 

Mid-morning, Jack was worrying about Sam and her patient. He hadn’t heard anything, but she was either in surgery or clinic and he didn’t want to hover. A distraction was what he needed, so he picked up the phone and dialled a familiar number.

“Danny! Recovered from last night? ... Good. Do you want to do coffee? Or maybe lunch? ... Ok, see you there. Bye.”

Half an hour later, Jack was waiting in their usual coffee shop, his second coffee of the day in front of him and a piece of cake that he was steadfastly resisting starting until Daniel arrived.

When the sandy haired anthropologist did come in the door, he ordered his coffee at the counter before sitting down opposite Jack. He held his friend’s gaze for a moment and then leant back in his seat.

“Are you happy?”

“I am, thanks, Daniel,” Jack replied, starting on his cake.

“Well, then,” Daniel shrugged. “Uhh, what do you say when someone gets a girlfriend? Congratulations?”

“You’re the anthropologist.”

“Anglo American culture is not my specialty. Especially not the dating and marriage parts.”

That made Jack laugh, “You can say that, again. Not that I’m much of an authority in that area, either. And, thank you.”

Daniel took his coffee from the waitress and she placed his toasted bagel on the table, “Thanks.”

“Sam thinks you don’t like her, by the way. Well, not dislike her, but she sensed some ... reservations, on your part.”

Rolling his eyes, Daniel huffed. “I might have been a little less reactionary had I know you were seeing someone, at all.”

“Sorry,” Jack apologised, looking contrite. “I didn’t want to say anything until things were more concrete.”

“Looks like the concrete set pretty fast.”

That made Jack snort. “A week, tomorrow.”

“How many times have you seen her this week?”

“Every day,” Jack answered evenly, eyes meeting Daniel’s. “Go on. I know what you want to say. Out with it.”

“Be careful, Jack.”

“There it is. I am being careful.”

“Every day in the first week ...” Daniel trailed off.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I’m well aware of what happened after Sara. But you can’t have imagined that I would never consider seeing someone, again.”

Daniel sucked on his cheek. “Seven years, Jack, and not even a whiff of interest in someone. I kinda thought that you were hibernating, maybe forever.”

Jack shook his head, his eyes crinkling with a smile. “The bear woke up and found that it’s spring.”

“Hmm, that’s an appropriate analogy,” Daniel pointed out.

“What? She’s your age.”

“And you’re not dating me.”

“Touché,” Jack conceded. “But once people are past 30, there’s not that much difference between 35 and 53. C’mon, Danny, is that what this is really about?”

“No,” Daniel sipped his coffee, considering Jack across the table. “I just don’t want to see you crawl back into the bottle.”

“Well,” Jack held Danny’s eye. “I am, and always will be, very grateful to you for helping to pull me out. Without you, I wouldn’t be here now, and I certainly wouldn’t have met Sam.”

“She’s very good looking,” Daniel felt a little compliment might help him out with Jack.

“And wicked smart. I really do enjoy her company.” Jack licked his finger and began collecting crumbs from his plate. “Sam has a good heart, Daniel. You should’ve seen her this morning. The clinic called her in for an emergency and she had the troops all rallied around in 15 minutes.”

“I know. We talked for a while, last night. She was very interested in the various community development projects that I’ve got going. Said that if there were any animal welfare or animal/human health programs that I needed help with, I should ask.”

“Sounds like her,” Jack agreed. He peered at Daniel, “So ease up on both of us a little?”

“If you insist,” Daniel waved a hand dismissively.

“Come to dinner, this week, hang out, we can play some Scrabble or something.”

Daniel considered Jack’s offer. “Can’t do Thursday,” he finally said.

“She works Thursday nights, so it doesn’t matter. Tuesday’s are out, too. Maybe Wednesday or Friday?”

“Sure,” Daniel shrugged. “We should do some prep, anyway “

“Well, why don’t you come over after lunch and stay for dinner. We can go over the first two projects and Sam can join us when she gets home.”

“Home?” Daniel questioned, shaking his head.

“It’s not like she sold her house. Just that ... home is wherever she is, now.”

For the first time, Daniel considered that perhaps Jack was serious, very serious, about Sam. “Wow, Jack. I ...” he tried to marshal his thoughts. “Well, just let me know which day.”

“Ok,” Jack smiled. Maybe he was finally getting through to Daniel. Then he noticed the younger man checking his watch. “Gotta go?”

Nodding, Daniel drained his coffee cup. “Meeting with an interest group, hoping to rally some external support.”

“Good luck. I’ll let you know in the next day or two.”

“Right. Take care, Jack.”

“See ya, Danny boy.”


	19. Loss and Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the scene comes to you fully formed and you just have to type it out.
> 
> Explicit, with (very mild) D/s overtones.

**Loss and Relief**

Sam walked in his front door at 3.45 pm, only 45 minutes later than she said she’d be before she’d had an emergency to deal with. Jack didn’t know if that was a good sign or not.

Not, he worked out, when she crouched down to greet Sally and let his dog, really already their dog, lick her face while she rubbed her ears for a few long minutes.

Then she stood and he held her while she breathed slowly in and out, her forehead tucked into the curve beneath his chin. His fingers rubbed at her neck and shoulders, trying to find a way to ease her. Sam thanked him with a soft kiss and then disappeared to change. Standing in the hallway he watched her go, not sure what to do for her, but wanting to do something.

In the kitchen, Jack checked the curry that was already on for dinner and she met him there.

“That smells good,” she slid an arm about his waist and he wrapped one around her shoulders and kissed her hair.

“My secret curry recipe. It’s got another hour to go, at least. Wanna grab a beer and throw the ball for Sally?”

“Good idea.” Sam smiled at him as she moved to the fridge but it didn’t have her usual spark. When he accepted the beer she passed him, his concern must have been written all over his face. “I’m ok. Just tired. Let’s go play with Sal.”

He let her tell him what she could and didn’t push and they sat on the deck steps and threw the ball for Sally. Jack caught her up on his coffee with Daniel, but left the idea of dinner together until later.

Slowly, she found a way to tell him about her day. Her surgery patient had gone downhill quickly and they’d lost her before a transfusion or any significant measures could be taken. Sam knew the family well, they’d been patients of hers for years, and so the call she had to make to them was just that little bit harder.

And then she’d done her morning clinic. And written up her notes. And checked slowly and thoroughly on all the other admitted patients. And when there was nothing more to do, she had come home to him and Sally.

Jack held her and Sally lay at her feet, in that way dogs do when they know you just need company. He thought she might cry, thought it would be good if she did, but instead she just seemed to hang there on the edge of release.

They ate dinner on the couch and he put on a pre-season hockey game, hoping something completely different might give her some refuge. They talked while they watched, about hockey, about the pre-season, about which games they might go see when the season kicked off. He knew she was trying to be good company and he wanted her to stop, to just be what she needed to be right then, but he didn’t know how to grant that to her.

It was early when they started drifting towards bed. He loaded the dishwasher, she scrubbed the curry pot and left it to dry on the sink. She was just wiping the sink down when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. That’s when she did it, and rolled her head away, exposing her neck to him.

He was reluctant to bite, instead nibbling along the skin and kissing her jaw where it usually made her moan. Instead, she pushed back into him and moved her shoulders, pulling her shirt away from the skin and exposing her bra strap.

“Jack,” she asked, her voice low and insistent and so he slowly sunk his teeth into her flesh. The sigh she let out was for both of them and he sucked her skin until he was sure there would be a mark in the morning.

Her response was more grunt than moan, and her fingers scrabbled in the loose hair at her nape, dragging it away from her skin and baring her shoulder blade. Jack found his fingers were in her hair, holding those stray strands clear, while his teeth found the flesh at the back of her shoulder. Sam pressed back into him and he pushed her tightly against the counter, fingers scraping her scalp, increasing the pressure in her hair.

As his teeth and lips suckled her flesh, he remembered an exchange from their very first time together. With the second mark made, he put his teeth to her ear lobe, applied pressure for a moment and then growled, “Bed, now.” He stepped back, releasing her body, took her hand and walked her to the bedroom.

He helped her strip, then removed his own clothes and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Body pressed to hers, he walked her to the bed. There they stood, his hands stroking her, running over her, pressing her back into him while he cupped her breast and rolled her nipple in his fingers, the other hand splayed over her belly.

When her head rolled back on his shoulder and she moaned, he worked her other breast, squeezing and pulling on her nipple until she was grinding back against him. Reaching for her knee, he lifted her leg until one foot was resting on the mattress and he could reach between her legs, slide a finger into her warmth and circle her clit. Kissing her neck, tasting her skin with tongue and teeth, he used two fingers to swipe over her nub until she was grinding into his hand. He gave her two fingers and held her up while he thrust them into her, his palm over her clit, rubbing her with each movement.

“More,” she moaned, “Please, Jack.”

“I can take you, Sam. Push into you from behind, press you hard against the bed, make you mine.”

The needy whimper she made went straight to his groin and he abruptly pulled his fingers from her and, in less than a heartbeat, had her lying face down on the bed. Jack kneeled on the mattress, nudging her legs apart, encouraging one thigh higher.

With his already wet fingers he parted her ass cheeks, running down her crack, dragging slowly over anus and perineum until they found her wetness again.

“Oh, god,” she voiced in a whimper, but otherwise, laid still for him, on the edge of surrender. Thrusting with two fingers, then three, his other hand rested on her ass, holding her as he stroked until he felt the muscles of her behind tense as she tried to make little movements with her hips to increase her pleasure.

He bent his mouth to her slit, tonguing her clit and then swiping her from her nub to her tailbone, in one long and heavy pass of his tongue. Her answering whimper was tension and need given voice. His cock responded, swelling and straining and his own moan escaped his lips.

Holding himself in one hand, the other he placed by her hip and lowered his body until he could tease her opening with the tip of his cock.

“Please, Jack.”

He could barely hear her, but if he had any doubts, the small circles her hips were making against him and the bed would be indication enough.

“Gonna make you mine, Sam,” and he lowered his thighs, slowly pressing into her, letting out a moan as her slick heat surrounded him. When he was fully inside her, he slowly lowered his body, letting her feel the weight on her increasing, resting on his forearms, laying against her from thighs to stomach. He rocked into her, pressing kisses into the back of her neck.

“Is this what you want, what you need? Do you need me to own you? Take you, make you mine?” With each question, he rocked his hips harder, pushing her into the mattress with each of his thrusts.

“Yes,” She whispered, licking at her lips.

“Tell me,” he urged her with another thrust.

“Take me,” she asked, a little louder.

His hand slid into her hair, fingers tightening against her scalp again. “What do you want, Sam?”

Twisting her head under his fingers, pulling against him, she panted her need. “Make me yours.”

“You’re gonna be mine, Sam,” he told her, hand slipping from her hair and winding her braid around his fingers, pulling her head slowly back. He held her there, as she resisted his tension, controlling the amount of pull against his fingers.

“I’m yours, Jack.”

“Mine,” he told her, thrusting again, his belly tightening, feeling his orgasm gathering. “My Sam. Gonna come for me, Sam?”

“Yes,” she mewled. “Don’t stop.”

“Not gonna stop,” he told her, pushing into her, pulling her head back and biting her shoulder. “Mine.” He bit her again, another thrust. “Mine,” and he reached for her hand with his free one, putting his hand over hers, holding her against the mattress, all his weight on her, except the small amount on his knees, so he could keep thrusting into her.

“Jack,” his name was urgent on her tongue, asking him, seeking his permission.

“Come, Sam. Come for me. You’re mine.” Teeth on her neck, just below her hairline, he thrust into her over and over until she keened and her body let loose in shuddering spasms.

“Mine,” he told her with one last thrust and then he was coming, too, a primal feeling that came from his chest, squeezing the breath out of him as he felt his soul empty into her. Under him, Sam made little whimpers and mewls, aftershocks continuing through his climax, slowing, but not completely vanishing until he came to enough to untangle his hand from her hair.

He slid sideways onto the mattress, one leg still over hers, and they panted together as he smoothed the skin of her back, fingers brushing her hair back from her face. Stroking her cheek with his fingers, he let his hand come to a rest over the skin under her ear, thumb rubbing at her jaw.

Her eyes opened, looking into his, and he saw that she was not yet fully back. The smile he gave her was gentle and tender and made her shiver.

“Thank you,” she whispered through dry lips.

Nodding, he caressed her jaw and then kissed her lips. “You’re mine. And I love you.”

“Yours,” she agreed, eyes drifting closed. He stroked her jaw and moved his leg off hers and let himself doze, too.

Later, when they stirred and she cuddled her body against his, she softly asked, “How did you know?”

“Because you told me,” he answered.

She hummed, rubbing her cheek on his skin.

“No one’s ever worked it out, before.”

“I knew how to listen,” he told her, kissing her forehead. “Sleep, my love. Tonight you’re mine. Rest, I’ve got you.”

He had listened. And he’d worked it out. Sometimes, she needed to be relieved of command. And he could do that for her.


	20. Softly, Softly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, this is chapter 20, can you believe it? I have another five chapters planned to bring this part of Jack and Sam’s story to a conclusion. Doesn’t mean the end, I’m leaving it open to come back to this in the future and create more volumes in the story.
> 
> If you’ve enjoyed this not just because of Jack and Sam, I have started a work with similar themes, but in my original universe called [Blue Ward](../../../works/15994736/). I’d love to keep writing and reading with you all, so please come and subscribe to it. 
> 
> Love to you all,  
> \- Sophie <3

**Softly, Softly**

He woke her with coffee and kisses and lazy snuggles. “Happy anniversary.”

That made her smile and she curled into him. She tried hard to keep the work thoughts at bay, at least for the first few hours of their Sunday.

He read, with glasses on, she discovered. She sipped her coffee and browsed the news.

Sally, disappointed in their laziness, lay on the end of the bed and occasionally sighed and moved position. Unconsciously, Jack dug his toes into her fur, scratching her side.

Sam watched the symbiosis of man and dog. “Do you even know you’re doing that?”

“What?” Jack asked, eyes still on his book.

“Rubbing her belly with your toes?”

Jack looked up, taking in his own foot and Sally’s perfect position. “I’m well trained,” he replied

“I’ll say.”

Jack brushed his toes along her calf. “Are you complaining?”

Leaning over to kiss his cheek, she replied, “Not one bit.”

Lifting his arm, Jack pulled her in to his side and Sam rested her head on his shoulder. Both resumed reading.

Her sense of relaxation slowly dissipated and Jack shifted his attention back to her. “Do you need to go by the clinic, today?”

“I could probably skip it.”

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”

“I’m trying to navigate having a life outside of work,” she grinned sheepishly.

Jack nuzzled her hair. “Why don’t we stop by, you can show me around and then we can have lunch, or take Sally for a hike?” He felt her soften.

“Ok. Outside air sounds good.”

“Good. No point in going cold turkey. We can ease you into whole days off.”

Sam turned her face to his and kissed him soundly. “Thank you, addiction counsellor.”

Jack pulled her sideways into his lap, letting his book fall closed. Kissing her again, he slid his hands under her cami top and caressed her skin. “Of course,” he told her as he lay a trail of kisses from her jaw to the edge of the fabric, “I might just ... be replacing ... one addiction ... with another.”

Reaching for the hem of her top she pulled it over her head. Jack resumed his downwards trail.

“I’ll take the risk,” Sam ventured, digging her fingers into Jack’s hair. When his mouth reached her nipple he circled it before biting down. Sam arched her back and gasped and Sally suddenly barked behind her. They both jumped.

“I forgot she was there,” Jack buried his face in Sam’s chest while they both laughed.

Slowly catching her breath, still plagued by occasional giggles, Sam petted Jack’s hair. “Do you want to go on?”

The growl against her sternum was her answer.

“I’ll crate her,” Sam offered. “Get naked, Jack O’Neill.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied as she slipped out the door, Sally following.

 

* * *

 

The clinic was quiet on Sundays. There were no scheduled appointments, only emergencies, which meant just two or three nurses and one on-call vet were rostered. It was a good time to show Jack around, they were relatively uninterrupted.

They let Sally loose in the exercise yard and Jack trailed behind Sam as she checked on the patients. Sam liked that he stopped to talk to each animal and, if they were responsive, spent time with them. At seeing him look longingly at a young dog with its leg in a cast, she came to his side.

“You can open the cage and talk to them. Just wash your hands between each. Oh, and red tagged animals could be aggressive, so just be cautious.”

Jack washed his hands and returned, slowly opening the door before greeting the patient. He was rewarded with a wildly wiggling dog, tail slapping the sides of the cage, who showered him in licks.

Full of feelings for the intersection of the two most important parts of her life, Sam kept sneaking looks at Jack while she continued her rounds.

Jack letting a pair of kittens play with and bite his fingers. Jack kneeling beside an old dog, too sore to move, and rubbing her ears, talking softly, scratching her until her tail began to wag. Jack coaxing a scared cat from under a blanket and encouraging him to try some wet food. Jack learning from Anise how to get a parrot to step up and then sit on his shoulder. Jack being a very good sport when the parrot began pulling his hairs out one by one.

She could have lingered all day, watching him, falling in love over and over, but finally they both tore themselves away and coaxed Sally from the yard where she was playing.

“She’s had a fair bit of exercise here. Shall we just go to lunch?” Sam wondered.

“Home?” The hope in his voice made Sam laugh and blush.

“Don’t you need your rest, old man?” She asked as she crowded him against the side of his truck, her hands being anything but restful.

“Aht, I can rest when I’m dead. Besides, I have a list of goals for my retirement.”

“You only have 12 days left. I hope it’s not too long a list.”

“Not too long,” he told her, lips playing with her ear. “Kitchen, dining room, hallway, spare bedroom, deck, yard ...” His warm and heavy breath and the hand cupping her breast gave Sam an indication that he wasn’t talking about repainting.

“And then, tomorrow?”

Teeth clamped down her earlobe and Sam’s laughter became a grunt. “We could do takeout for lunch,” she suggested.

 

* * *

 

Takeout lunch ended up being delivery at a time that was more like dinner.

“How did I fill my days before you?” Sam wondered, her feet in Jack’s lap as she ate Chinese straight from the box on the couch.

“Hmm?”

“All we’ve done is have sex all day. I’m trying to figure out what else I used to do.”

“For fun?” Jack asked.

“For anything.”

“Work, see people, read?” Jack suggested.

“I’ve done all those things today.”

“Perhaps in different ratios? I’ve seen an awful lot of you today.” Jack’s fingers slid up the back of her calf.

Sam tried to ignore his wandering hand, even when it passed her knee and a single nail stroked the back of her thigh. “I’m not complaining. It’s just, this is a continental shift in the structure of my Sundays. My life.”

His hand moved to rest on her knee. “You ok? I know we’ve been here and not at your place nearly all week.”

“Yeah. I’m ok. It’s just ... when I stop to think about it, I wonder if I should be ok with it. I don’t really miss my house, or working, even on my days off. I miss Janet and Cass, but only a little. Even missing Harry hurts less.”

“We’re still new. And exciting, some of this will settle down with time. I know that I love you, but I also know that there’s a lot ahead of us, yet. We could get caught up in overthinking it,” His fingers slowly rubbed the muscles above her knee.

Sam reached over and put her takeout container on the coffee table. “Sometimes it rocks me a bit. I feel like it’s been this way forever and yet ...”

“Seven days,” Jack agreed. “Maybe fourteen for me.”

“Fourteen?”

“I spent a week thinking about asking you out.”

Sam grinned. “I spent a week thinking about you thinking about asking me out.”

Jack looked at her, stroking his bottom lip with his tongue. “God, that’s hot.”

Sam laughed, “I would say the same.” She paused. Jack felt like she wanted to say more.

“What is it?”

Her eyes wandered, fixing on the garden and the sky, shifting towards dusk. “Is this just lust? Are we just fitting together because we like the sex and we’re prepared to compromise? What happens if one of us gets bored?”

He could think of ten fast and easy things to say to her, but she was letting him see her vulnerabilities, her dark thoughts. “We will,” he answered her, his hand warm and firm on her knee. “We will get bored. And frustrated. Angry and impatient, tired and jealous.” Jack reached for her hand, wrapping it with his.

“We will feel those things and we’ll talk about it, deal with it. Sometimes we’ll yell and throw things and sometimes we’ll need space and time and sometimes we’ll fuck furiously and cry afterwards.”

He shifted, turning towards her and she pulled up her knees so he could come closer. “Shit, I just want to ... I want you to know everything. I didn’t leave Sara because I was bored. There was so much pain between us that we couldn’t talk anymore. We tried counselling, we tried really hard. And then I tried really hard to let myself die because I still loved her. Suicide by neglect ... and Daniel wouldn’t let me.”

The pain was reflected back to him in her face. Jack caressed her hand, put his other hand on her hip, feeling so much like he was hurting her, but knowing that she needed to know why, how it had happened. “But it wasn’t because we were bored. It was because we loved each other so much that it hurt. I didn’t think that I could open myself up to that again. And then,” he cupped her cheek, his expression telling her he knew that it was stupid and foolish, but that he didn’t care. “I met you and it all seemed worth trying again.”

The tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “How do I know what I feel is the same? That you won’t propose and I’ll say yes and then a few months later realise that I’d never really loved you in the first place?”

“How about first, I don’t propose. You do it. Why can’t you ask me when you want to? _If_ you want to? Or, we could decide together.” Jack’s touch on her cheek was warm, reassuring. “Second, if you realise that this isn’t the same for you sometime in the future, well, then say so. And leave. No recriminations,” he promised. “But ...”

“Talk,” she said for him. “We’ll talk about it.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. With a last caress of her cheek, he reached for her other hand, so now he was holding both. “I think we should start with you and the two non-engagements. Maybe then you can leave them in the past.”

“And Janet,” Sam added. “I think that you need to know what happened with her and ... we were just 18 and what she went through, I absorbed. And it screwed with my head for a long time.”

“Ok.” Jack squeezed her hands. “Sounds like a plan. But we don’t have to do this tonight. Just when you’re ready.”

“Alright.” Sam squeezed his hands. “Just let me, I need to ... get my thoughts together.”

Jack moved back to where he was sitting before. “When you’re ready,” he reassured her.

Reclaiming her Chinese, Sam dug around in it. Jack did the same, letting the silence sit between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to look in on [Blue Ward](../../../works/15994736/).


	21. I Don’t Like Mondays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, lovely readers.
> 
> This chapter is a very heavy one, Sam finally opens up to Jack about (Jonas) Hanson. There’s mention of abuse, emotional and physical, stalking and rape. Sam has already dealt with all the emotional trauma, so this is hard to hear but she doesn’t have to relive it to tell Jack.
> 
> If that is going to be hard for you, please skip to the next chapter. There’s a safe summary of the events of this chapter for you.
> 
> —
> 
> Special thanks to [Sarah_M](../../../../users/Sarah_M/pseuds/Sarah_M) who helped me work out how to handle this chapter. I really appreciate your thoughts and insights. <3
> 
> \- Sophie <3

**I Don’t Like Mondays**

That night she was restless, turning over in bed again and again. At one point, Jack pulled her to him and she stilled, purposefully laid quiet so that he could sleep. When she could, Sam slipped away from his side, pulled on a sweatshirt and went out to the living room. Sally whined, so she let her out, grabbed the throw off the armchair and stepped out on to the deck.

It was still summer, but nights were cool at this elevation all year round. She sat on the steps, throw around her shoulders, and watched Sally hunt shadows and the other little night things in the yard.

She lost track of time, Sally came to her and then disappeared again, arrowing off into the darkness. At one point she wished that she had brought her phone and then was glad she hadn’t. The night was better without the technology and the glow of the screen. She thought of the night she and Jack had made love by his telescope and it had felt wild and raw, for being out under the stars. He was right, they should do it in the yard again. Maybe soon, because the nights were only going to get colder.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, she heard his bare footfalls on the deck and he sat behind her, legs coming around her sides, his arms resting over hers, leaning on her knees. He was also wearing a sweatshirt, but he only had on his boxers.

“Aren’t you cold?” She asked him.

Sally meandered across the grass, also having sensed Jack’s presence and she climbed the stairs to sit beside them, shoving her nose under Jack’s arm until he rubbed her ears.

“Aren’t you?” Jack finally replied.

“Not really. But I’ve got a blanket.”

“I’ll get one if I need to.” His free hand twined with hers. “I love you, Sam.” That was all either of them said for a long while.

Adjusting position, Sally laid herself out fully by Jack’s hip. He stroked her belly for a minute or two and then brought his arm back around Sam.

“Are you scared?”

“Yes.” It took her a while to be sure she was feeling it, but in the end she decided she did.

“I can, we can, pull back a little.”

She shook her head. “No. That’s not why I’m scared. I don’t feel things are out of control. Things feel just right, just like this.”

Jack pressed his forehead to the crown of her head, let the silence hold them for a while and just breathed her in.

“I want everything, Jack. I want it so bad. I want it with you.” Taking a deep breath, she held it and then slowly released it to the night. “I love you. And it’s consuming me. And that’s what scares me.”

“There’s time. No need to rush.” He spoke into her hair.

“Except that I feel like I’ve been asleep this whole time. Why study for seven years, why work for even longer, why the long hours, why the loneliness. What is it for unless I’m happy? I’m awake now, and I want to start living.”

“What do you want to do?”

The infinite patience, the way he listened, she just wanted to wrap herself up in it. Only Janet had ever asked what she wanted and genuinely wanted to hear her answer. But then, maybe she was wrong. Maybe she was reading it all wrong. Maybe if she told him what was in her heart he would laugh. Or worse, hurt her with it, like Pete had. Like Hanson.

For a moment, the thought of them, particularly Hanson, made her ill. Her stomach roiled and she gagged. By force of will she pushed it down, physically and mentally trying to close the lid on it again. The one she kept locked down so tight.

“Sam?” Jack was suddenly tense, his arms tightening around her.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m ... I’ll be ok. Just need a minute,” she choked out.

It made her ill to even think his name, to introduce that black, oily poison into what she had with Jack. What she wanted with her silver haired man was pure moonlight. Things with Hanson had been dark and cold, a nightmare. And she had made that mistake and it had cost both her and Janet.

When she started shaking, Jack pulled her tight against him, stroking her hair. Sam just wanted to shelter in his arms and forget everything else. But he had been right, her past was standing in her way, in their way.

For a little while, she burrowed into his chest while she tried to summon the courage to talk. When her breathing settled and the shakes eased up, Jack kissed her hair.

“You can tell me. I’m yours. I’m safe. You will always be safe with me.”

The echoes tore at her heart, the way he held her now, held her two nights ago, had known what she needed and created the space for her to slide into, to rest for a little while and let him watch over her. She needed that again and here he was, offering it to her. No, not offering, gifting it. It was hers, already here, already surrounding her.

She began uncertainly, faltering, trying to remember which piece of the puzzle fit where, because it had taken years before she and Janet had worked out all the pieces between them.

It started the first year of college, Janet and Sam had been roommates and there had been no question after the first month that they would be friends for life. They shared the same ambitions, came from similar backgrounds, were both whip smart, bold personality women. During the first semester, Sam had come to the attention of a Junior and he had pursued her. Not terribly experienced, but also not completely naive, she had held off on him for a while, but he had persisted. Thinking it romantic, Sam had finally started seeing Hanson.

Around Thanksgiving there had been a floor party and the seniors had brought in a lot of alcohol, despite it being against the rules. They had all drunk a lot of it and at some point, Sam and Hanson had stumbled into her bed, probably with thoughts of doing something, but, best she could recall, they both passed out. Sometime during the night, Janet had woken her, making out with someone from the party. Sam had stumbled to the bathroom and then back to bed, sleeping the rest of the night.

In the morning, both heavy with hangovers, Janet and Sam had struggled through the day, sworn off alcohol forever and promised to never let either do that again. Sure, in the intervening years one or the other had slipped up, but the experience that first year had been one of the things that cemented their relationship.

When they came back from winter break, they’d both brought colds and easing into their second semester had been a slow and laborious process. They were finding their rhythm again when Janet realised that she was pregnant. It wasn’t easy, but Janet is the kind of person who just gets to grip with things and forges onwards. No, she hadn’t been going steady with anyone. No, she didn’t remember having unprotected sex but, there had been a lot of parties in November and December and a lot of drinking and she was honest about the fact that she didn’t remember every encounter.

While others were keen to figure out the with who and how and why, Janet buckled down and just got on with it. She finished their first year, had Cassie over the summer, and Janet, Sam and Cassie had rented an apartment off campus and juggled and swapped and begged favours and worked extra jobs and paid babysitters to get through second, third and fourth years. At the same time, Cassie learned to talk and walk and then started going to campus childcare and, just before she turned three, her mom and Sam graduated and were accepted into vet school.

By then, Sam and Janet were a well oiled machine, working their schedules around Cass. They repeated the pattern at vet school and only tried separation once, in their sixth year when they did six week residencies in different cities. Everyone missed each other and so from then on they knew that they’d continue making decisions that included all three of them.

All of it was a kind of miracle, given how things often worked out for single moms at college. Sam credited Janet with most of it, but she knew that being Janet’s fall back had made it work. There was just one dark stain in those seven years and it was Hanson.

They had just settled in at the beginning of their second year. Janet was returning to classes on an adjusted schedule. Sam had no idea how he had found out their address, but Hanson had turned up at their apartment, wanting to reconnect with Sam. What followed was a whirlwind romance, a whispered proposal and by the beginning of November, Sam was fretting over how to tell her father that she was engaged to a man he had never met.

Hanson actually wanted them to get married at Christmas and Sam’s reluctance had been the catalyst for an explosion of tension between them. He’d always been the jealous type, but he wanted her to move in with him and leave Janet and Cassie behind. He hated that she usually put Cassie first, before them, before him, despite the fact that she had made it clear from the beginning that she was committed to Janet and Cassie, at least until they graduated.

It got harder and harder to make him happy and he became crueler as the weeks wore on. The weekend before winter break began, he had come to the apartment when Sam was alone with Cassie. The five month old was sleeping in Janet’s room and Sam had insisted, once he raised his voice, that he leave. Hanson had cursed and yelled and slammed her against the wall when she had tried to open the door to get him out. Their neighbours, two post grad couples, had been home and had burst through the door as he held her to the wall by the throat.

The police came, arrested him and he was expelled. There were too many witnesses, off campus police reports, even a few lines in the newspaper, for their college to sweep it under the rug.

Hanson came and went from her life over the next six months. There were phone calls, letters, he would run into her on campus or be waiting for her when she finished work. Finally she only walked on campus at night accompanied by the campus police. Twice she called the city cops to move him on when he was sitting outside their apartment in his car.

The last time that she had seen him had been nearly a year later. And the last thing that he had said to her, yelled to her, was, “Tell my baby that I said hello.” She had kept on walking but she had heard. And she began to wonder.

It took her a few weeks, but finally she sat down with Janet and they tried to work it out. They weren’t sure, could never prove it, neither of them had enough concrete memories from that night to be sure, but it was possible.

It was possible that Sam and Hanson had shared her bed that night. Possible that Janet hadn’t gone to bed with someone from the party. Possible that when Sam got up to use the bathroom that Hanson wasn’t in her bed. Possible that the person Janet was with had been Hanson. Possible that they had had unprotected, non-consensual sex. That he was Cassie’s father. That he knew he was Cassie’s father and had started seeing Sam again because of it. Had known, and not told either of the friends. Had intended to forever use the knowledge and their ties to pit them against the other, to control them, to control Cassie. That had been the trajectory of his behaviour. Sam, and by extension Janet and Cassie, had only just managed to escape him.

Jack’s fingers circled a pattern against her shoulder and she still leaned into his chest.

“Cassie starts college in a few weeks.”

“How do you and Janet feel about that?”

“Old,” she chuckled, but she knew what he was asking. “We know better than anyone that we can’t keep her safe. Janet’s just done the best she can to prepare her. And I took her to get an IUD. It’s not going to keep guys, or girls, from taking advantage. But it does give her a choice about pregnancy.”

“Is that why you have one?”

“Cause it works no matter what? No mistakes, no partners messing up? Yeah, I guess so. I never wanted to be vulnerable to a guy that way again.”

“Why don’t you guys all live together, still?”

Sam shuffled, her ass half numb from sitting in one position so long. “We bought the clinic together. And both of us started dating people around that time. Having our own spaces made sense. But we’re only a street apart.” She looked up at Jack, “Do you think it’s strange, what we did?”

The shock was clear in his voice. “No! I think it’s wonderful. I,” Jack hesitated, not wanting to make this about him. “That Janet found a way to keep Cassie, and that you were such a fundamental part of that, is admirable. A gift. It’s just about the greatest gift of love I can think of.” He was smiling, she could tell by the tone of his sigh. “Sam, I, I’ve got to ask. Were you and Janet, are you, together? Sexually, romantically?”

Sam tilted her head back, she could just make out the outline of his face. “We tried, a few times. It never really worked. I’m not really into women, not even enough to make fuck buddies with Janie work. Our relationship isn’t completely sisterly, either. It doesn’t have a good descriptor that I know of, so I gave up trying to describe it. It’s just been whatever we needed it to be. We’ve both given it a lot and taken a lot from it.”

Jack shifted his own half numb ass, bringing Sam’s back fully against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. “You’re married,” he told her. “Platonically, maybe, but a marriage is what you’ve got.” His voice grew soft as his lips brushed her ear. “You’re good at relationships, Sam. You’ve been in one for 18 years.

“You shut Hanson out, you kept Janet and Cassie at the centre of your life. The two of you worked through something that would have shattered many friendships or relationships. You’ve shaped and changed and renegotiated what it is that you have together. 18 years is a long time for anyone, anything, even if it doesn’t have a proper name.

“You know what you want and how it should feel. Trust yourself. You’re strong and you can do this, if it’s what you want.”

“It’s what I want.” Her throat was tight, emotion washed through her. “I want to see you when I wake up every morning, I want to come home to you at the end of the day. I want to have children with you, for my belly to get full with our babies, see you hold them while they sleep, teach them to ride and to fly. I want to still be screwing you when we should both be too old to manage it and our kids will yell at us to keep it down cause we’ll wake the grandkids. I want a house full of family and dogs and cats and whatever else.”

Jack’s hands slid across her stomach as she talked, leaning back into him. He caressed the curve of her belly that would swell with her pregnancy and pressed the side of his face against hers. Eyes closed, he pictured them, their kids, their grandkids, messing about in this backyard, a pack of dogs racing around between them.

“Well.” Jack’s voice was soft in the night, “We better get started.”


	22. In This Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21 Summary (if you skipped it).
> 
> Sam is unable to sleep and heads outside so that she doesn’t disturb Jack. He wakes and follows her and the snuggle together on the deck.
> 
> He thinks that she’s scared or uncertain about them, but then she tells him it’s her memories that are making her restless. Sam tells him the story of how she and Janet were roommates in college and one drunken night her boyfriend, Hanson, probably slept with them both, and then shortly after disappeared from the picture.
> 
> When Janet found out she was pregnant, Sam offered her support and Cassie was born. They continued to room together and Sam helped Janet with Cassie however she could. When Cassie is a few months old, Hanson reappears, tries to get Sam to marry him and, when it all falls apart, harasses her, finally telling her that he is probably Cassie’s father. 
> 
> Janet and Sam had already kicked Hanson to the curb, so they shore up together and go on, raising Cass through college and vet school, their early careers, buying the clinic and various boyfriends/girlfriends. 
> 
> Jack points out to Sam that her relationship with Janet is as close to a marriage you can get without the sex and, therefore, she is actually good at relationships, having whethered a hell of a lot to remain with Janet and help raise Cass. 
> 
> Sam then tells Jack that she wants everything with him - house, kids, grandkids. 
> 
> Delighted at the idea, Jack tells her that they had better get started.
> 
> —
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me though the hard stuff.
> 
> Here’s some smut to say thanks. ;)
> 
> \- Sophie <3

**In This Life**

Jack had forgotten to reset the coffee maker for retirement, so he fixed them both a cup and returned to the couch where they had watched the sun rise.

They’d sorted out the house. His was better for dogs and family. The only thing Sam’s house had going for it was its proximity to Janet, but with Cassie off to college in a few weeks that was becoming less important. So she would put it up for lease, month to month to begin with, furnished, minus the things that she wanted to keep or move to Jack’s.

Work would stay the same, for now. Sam already had plans to scale back after the summer and his work was just getting started. Jack would have a chance to influence the pattern and commitment as he got established.

Both agreed that there was no need to rush into marriage. With a good lawyer they could settle most of the issues with wills and contracts. If it became important down the road to have a marriage certificate, well, they could sort it then.

Jack was possibly keener than Sam to try for kids, now that he had given himself permission to think about it. After the summer, they’d decided, would be a good time to start. Less stress and less work would be good for Sam and for any potential children.

The last issue was the hardest, they needed to bring their found families on board. That was when the coffee maker had started and they both agreed that caffeine was a necessity to tackle this one.

“Maybe it’s as easy as having dinner with Janet and Cassie,” Sam suggested. “They’re both dying to meet you, although Cassie already technically has.”

Jack was turned toward her on the couch. “How so?”

“She was working reception the day Sally got her stitches out.”

His brow furrowed as he tried to remember, amusing Sam. “I can only remember you. And T.”

“It’s hard to forget Teal’c,” Sam remarked. “And I’ll take it as a compliment that you only remember me.”

Jack smiled at her over the lip of his coffee cup, eyes wandering over her as he sipped. “I remember you,” he murmured, making her stomach twist.

“Focus,” she poked him with a finger.

“I’m very focused,” he replied, putting his coffee aside, leaning towards her, his intent clear.

“Is this what you’re like on no sleep and caffeine?” She laughed as he prowled towards her, taking her coffee cup from her hands.

“Complaining?” He asked as he pressed her back against the arm of the couch, body between her thighs, sliding his hands up under her sweatshirt. Kissing the bare skin his motion revealed, his fingers found her nipples, rolling them as he licked across her stomach.

“Jack, we were plan-ing,” her voice jumped an octave as he pressed his face between her legs, nuzzling her through the layers of fabric.

“We have to practice,” he said into the apex of her legs, his breath warm, words buzzing as he searched for the entrance to her folds.

Shifting, she let one leg fall off the couch, opening herself to him. “I think you need to go back to the theory if you think that’s how you’ll get me pregnant.”

“Need lots of practice,” he murmured. She groaned as he blew warm air and hummed into her clit. “Nope,” he pulled back sliding his hands back down her skin, sitting up. “I think I should study more.”

“Unh,” she complained and involuntarily squirmed. “Not fair.”

“Plans,” he reminded her. “Janet and Cassie and Daniel. How about dinner, Friday?”

“If I say yes ...” she fluttered her eyelids at him.

Jack grabbed her foot and bit her toe. Sam shrieked.

“Dinner here. Can you - ack - cook for five? Stop it,” she laughed, trying to pull her foot away from his tickling fingers.

He paused, looked at her, “Stop?”

“Tickling, yes. Foreplay? No.” Sam wrenched her foot from his grasp and wriggled away, climbing over the arm of the couch. “What’s left on your list?”

“I can cook for five. And, uh, dining room, hallway, kitchen, deck, yard ...” Jack got to his feet as she backed away, laughing.

“I think we should do the yard tonight. That’s one of the things I was thinking out on the deck. Eep!” She just missed Jack’s attempt to grab her sweatshirt, and found herself backing into the dining room.

His eyes lit up at the suggestion, “Tonight sounds like an excellent time for sex.”

Sam paused, hands on the back of one of the dining chairs. “So now is just ...”

“Team practice, before the big match. Don’t move,” he told her, ushering Sally out into the yard and closing the deck door behind her. “So what will we have for dinner on Friday?” He wondered, approaching her around the table.

Wondering how long she could hold herself back, Sam moved to the next seat at the table. “Something easy. And dessert. Cassie and Janet are pretty easy going.”

“Danny suggested playing something like Scrabble.” He edged towards Sam.

“Janet likes poker. Cassie, chess.” Ahh, screw it. She let him catch her.

Hands on Sam’s hips, Jack pressed into her, “I like all of those things.” He teased her with his lips, brushing over hers, almost kissing, then pulling away.

Sam grabbed the front of Jack’s sweatshirt and dragged him close. “Someone’s feeling cheeky this morning.”

Jack kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m in love with the most amazing woman. Why wouldn’t I be?” Hands slid into the waist of her pants, finding the edge of her underwear and working their way past them until he could dig his fingers into the flesh of her ass.

Releasing his sweatshirt, Sam wrapped her arms around Jack’s neck. “That’s a coincidence, because I’m in love with the most amazing man.”

“Well,” he kissed her briefly, “There’s a man who wants to do amazing things to you.”

“Like what?”

“Fast or slow?”

Sam thought about it, “Fast. And hard,” her heart rate already increasing at the idea.

Jack kissed her once more, his hands pulling her tight against him, grinding his hips into hers. He held her mouth, capturing her tongue, twisting and stroking until they had to break apart to suck in oxygen. “Turn around.” His breath was hot, his voice low in her ear.

Turning, his hands skimming her hips, he pulled her against him, cupping her breasts through her clothes, pawing, palming, pressing his hands into her, rubbing the fabric into her nipples until she moaned with need. “You make the best sounds,” he told her. “Listening to you makes me so hard. Every whimper, every sigh,” his fingers grasped her nipples and twisted them sharply, making Sam gasp. “So hard,” he told her again, pushing his erection against her. “Do you feel that?”

Sam reached above her head, arms falling back until she could push her fingers into his hair. “Yes. Getting you hard makes me want you even more.”

“You want me?” While one hand twisted and pinched her nipple, his other hand found the front of her pants, grasping her crotch, rubbing his fingers over her, using the fabric to stimulate her lips. “You want me to take you, fast? Hard?”

Whimpering at his touch, his words, her fingers scraped against Jack’s scalp. “Yes. Now ...” Sam pushed into his fingers between her legs.

Hands caressed her, sliding over the fabric of her sweats, up over her stomach, chest, up her arms until he captured her hands. He brought them together above her, holding both wrists in a single grip. With the other he pulled at her pants and underwear, pushing them down, inch by inch until she was naked, waist to mid thighs. Pulling her hands down to chest height, his other hand found the small of her back. “Bend over,” the gentle pressure on her spine urging her down on to the table top and released her wrists.

The surface of the table was cold against her bare stomach, giving her goosebumps, a delicious contrast to the warmth of Jack pressing against her from behind. His hands grasped her hips and he pushed against her. Even with his hard on still in his boxers, Jack’s state of arousal was plain. Sam’s muscles clenched at the promise of him inside her, and she ached to feel him fill her. The slick feeling of her own arousal was between her thighs and she wanted him to know it.

“Touch me. I’m so wet, ready for you.” Lunging back with her hips she could feel his shaft rub between her ass cheeks, the pressure against her anus made her moan. “Touch me, please.”

His fingers stroked her ass cheek and Jack kept his hard cock pressed into her as he reached for lips, fingers wet before he could even part them, her heat washing over his fingers as he slipped inside.  

Sam shuddered as he rubbed his fingers around the edge of her opening and then reached for her clit, rubbing a finger on each side until it was a tight nub. “Like that, just there, gods yes,” Sam panted until her mind could no longer form words.

When her breath was coming in short gasps and she was beginning to arch up off the table, Jack stopped. He traced patterns on her ass with his fingers, marking her with her own arousal. As she retreated from the edge, he wet his finger again and again, letting her heat cool on her skin, goosebumps forming.

Her groan was part frustration, and it made him want to take her so hard, but first, there was something else.

A slick finger circled her anus, pausing for a moment to press against her and then circling again, pressing, teasing. “Do you want this?” He asked, giving her a little friction, a little pressure, testing her willingness.

Her mind was already going mad with Jack’s teasing and he wasn’t even in her. She circled her hips against the finger and its delicious pressure, had to catch her breath first, find her voice. “Yes. Finger my ass. Ohh,” the last word became a guttural moan as he increased the pressure against her tight muscles. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her puckered hole and his finger slowly entered her.

The mewl his finger unleashed went straight to his twitching cock and he pressed his palm into the groin of his boxers. “Gods, Sam. I could come right now.”

“Save it,” the tight reply was forced from her chest. “I want it.” Another sigh and she relaxed again, taking all that remained of Jack’s finger until he could rest his palm on her ass cheek. “Now, Jack. Fuck me.”

Hand pushing and pulling at his underwear, Jack freed himself, his fingers brushing his head, hot and slick with precum. Guiding himself to her lips, he slowly slid inside her, prolonging the sensation of her engulfing him, drawing it out for her, knowing she was so aroused he could have plunged straight into her depths. “How do you want it?” Jack asked when he was almost fully enveloped.

“Hard. Fuck me.” She had meant to sound commanding, but her desperate want was squeezed out with the last word as Jack pressed his hips into her.

“As you wish,” he answered, grasping her hip with his free hand and pulling back. Holding her tight enough that he knew he would see the marks afterwards, Jack started hard and slow, settling into a rhythm, feeling how much of him Sam really wanted.

It took no time at all for her to begin drowning in the sensation, pleasure with an edge of pain filling her with each stroke of Jack’s hips. “Harder,” she urged him, beginning to grunt each time he found her depth. She could feel it building inside her, gathering quickly, overwhelming her senses.

“So amazing,” Jack panted. “My finger in your ass while I fuck your sweetness. Am I gonna make you come? Come hard?”

It was already so intense she nearly couldn’t stand it. “Harder. Fuck me harder and I’ll scream.”

Dear god, he wanted her to scream. Rocking the finger inside her, he bent his body over hers and thrust over and over, the sound of skin against skin loudly mixing with her moans and his grunts. “Scream for me,” he told her, “And I’ll come for you.”

Too much. It was too much and she was going to burn with it. Arching back towards him, she felt it building and then it burst from her, the sound of her scream riding the wave of her release.

“Sam!” He called and then followed her over the edge, his hips pressed into hers, his cock jerking, filling her with his cum. Jack tried to hold on to enough consciousness to still himself inside her, against her. When he could open his eyes again he stroked her hip until she shuddered.

“Too much,” she murmured and he stilled, resting his hand firmly against her skin. She relaxed again and Jack slowly slid cock and finger from her.

Stepping away from her, he murmured. “Be right back.”

Sam heard the water running in the kitchen and he returned, placing a warm and damp hand on her lower back.

“Wet,” Jack warned her, and then he was wiping between her thighs, his touch soft and firm, running over her skin, slipping into all the places where skin touched skin. The cloth washed over her ass cheeks, finishing by skimming over her anus. Then a towel patted her dry and Jack’s hands were at her hips.

“Ready to move?” He asked. When she nodded and found her feet, his hands steadied her and then repositioned her pants. She turned into him and his arms wrapped around her. “Sleep?” He suggested and when she rubbed languorously against him, he chuckled.

“C’mon, kitty cat. There’s probably a sunbeam on the bed.”

Bemused, Sam led the way to bed and then she remembered. “Sally.” She waited in the hallway for him and then they resumed the path to bed. Curled up together, they napped until lunchtime, Sally asleep at their feet.


	23. Mr Blue Sky

**Mr Blue Sky**

“Friday night ... yes. Sam’s working so come over ... Ahh, bring something to drink?” Jack looked at Sam and she nodded. Good idea. “Yeah, something to drink. And Sam likes the idea of games of some sort, her friends would be up for it ... great. See you Friday.” Hanging up the call, he looked at Sam. “He’ll come over around lunch time. We’ve got some work to get started on. Two clients have contracted us for upgrade analysis.”

“Sweet,” Sam replied. “Janet and Cassie are good, too. What else can I do?”

Shaking his head, Jack leaned back against the kitchen counter. “You’re working, I’m off all week. I can sort it.”

Sam tilted her head at him and narrowed her eyes. “I’ve doubled the number of humans living in your house. It’s not fair for you to do all the work.”

Crossing to her, Jack grasped her elbows. “Our house.” It wasn’t an admonishment or a correction, it was a sharing of the pleasure he got from being able to say it.

She couldn’t help but smile. “God, we’re such saps.”

Jack leaned his forehead against hers. “Just let me do this part of it. I need to make room for you here, I can tidy and clean at the same time. And it feels right to be doing this for you. Making room for you, for your friends.”

Unfolding her arms, Sam took his face in her hands. “Thank you,” she brushed her lips over his and closed her eyes, forehead still touching Jack’s. He released her elbows and wrapped his arms around her, instead, and Sam let her hands wrap around his shoulders.

The sigh of contentment from Jack warmed her insides and made her smile. She liked the way her body fit just right against his, how she could rest her cheek on his shoulder and he could lay his cheek against her hair. Or, turning the other way, her lips were exactly level with his pulse point and she could nibble and bite his neck while he nuzzled her ear.

There was a little sway in his hold, like he wanted to dance with her, or maybe soothe her, like a child. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing in particular.” Jack brushed his lips against her hair. “Just ... feeling. Feeling happy, and content.” Shaking his head, he tried to revise, “That’s not even close, though. Words just aren’t cutting it.”

“I can feel it, too,” Sam told him. “Your whole body is ... humming.”

“That’s you. You doing that to me.”

Her own body felt the same, fit to burst with feeling. It was a marvel to her that they could make each other feel this way, simply by being present with the other. There was undoubtedly attraction and desire between them, but there was also this.

Sam was beginning to hunger for this feeling more than for the sexual satisfaction. She felt content and full in a way that had been elusive her whole life. Now that she knew that he made her feel this way and she had the same effect on him, she was beginning to trust in and build on what they had begun.

“Let’s go out for a bit,” Jack suggested.

“Where?”

“The airstrip. I said I’d show you around my plane. Monday afternoon is a good time to go. The hobbyists are at work and the commercial pilots will be working.”

It would satisfy that small part of her brain that felt she should be doing something, today. “Alright. We could pick something up for dinner on the way home.” Reluctantly, she loosened their embrace. “Am I dressed ok?”

Regarding her, in jeans and a tee, he nodded. “Grab a jacket, though. It can get breezy out there.”

“Sally’s coming, right?”

Jack smiled. So his comments about a companion animal to help with her nerves had stuck. “Of course. She always goes.”

In a few minutes they were in Jack’s truck and heading out to the private airfield. Colorado Springs was an Airforce town, populated by current and retired Airforce personnel and a wide range of people associated with the military or with flying. Sam even knew people that flew to work each day, the commute as normal to them as those who drove a car. Despite being surrounded by planes and plane people, Sam had never been able to get over her fear of flying.

She would fly, of course, if she absolutely had to. Overseas trips and long, cross country journeys meant that she couldn’t escape the necessity completely. Despite knowing that flying was safer than driving a car, Sam couldn’t forget about the fact that flying meant getting inside a jet propelled tin can that was 30,000 feet above the ground.

“Don’t think about it,” Jack told her as he drove.

“How do I not think about it?” She countered.

“I could kiss you,” he teased.

“While you’re meant to be flying? And you think my driving is crazy!”

Jack’s laugh told her that she had fallen for it.

“Jeez, O’Neill. Not a joking matter.” The tight line of her jaw and the way Sam held Sally to her side made him regret baiting her.

“Think about something complicated,” Jack suggested more seriously. “Like, uh, surgery? Or naming all the parts of a skeleton. I don’t know what to suggest, exactly, but you said you did a lot of memorisation in college.”

“Ok,” she nodded slowly, letting some of the more complicated zoology float to the surface. “Hang on. We’re not actually flying today, are we?”

“Just looking,” Jack reassured her. “Unless you just want to rip the bandaid off and get it over with.” He turned to her with one one eye still on the road. She was worrying, again, he was getting to know that look. “You tell me if you feel you want to try. No pressure.”

Sam nodded and ran her fingers through Sally’s fur. “We’ll see.”

 

* * *

 

Jack stopped the truck outside the airstrip office, checked in, and then drove them along the service road and pulled up behind a hanger. He reached over to the glovebox, pulled out a set of keys and wiggled his eyebrows at Sam. “C’mon, this part’s not going to hurt.” Bouncing out of the truck, he turned to help Sally down, clipping her lead and looked back into the cab. Sam hadn’t moved. He walked around to her side and opened the door and waited for her to get out.

“I feel silly,” Sam told him.

He wasn’t expecting that. “Why?” Jack took her hand and walked her and Sally to the rear hanger door, unlocking it.

Sam reached for Sally’s lead taking it so that Jack could lift the creaky door, unstick it and swing it inward. “It’s just such a dumb fear to have.”

Jack lead the way around a half dozen parked planes, Sam following, until they reached an orange and white plane with three wheels. If the wings and tail were removed it would be about the size of a minivan. “I don’t think it’s dumb,” Jack told her. “Sometimes the physics of it seems a little ridiculous to me, too. But, what you’re looking at, is, essentially, a family van with wings. Cessna has been the main manufacturer of these size planes since WWII. In remote areas it’s as good as the family car or local taxi. They call them bush planes.”

Jack brushed his hand along the fuselage and made his way to the right side cockpit door. “I trust this plane as much as I trust my truck. Look after it and it’ll look after you.” He turned back, Sam was rooted in spot by the tail.

“If my car stops working, I don’t fall out of the sky.” Sam twisted Sally’s leash in her hands.

“That’s a fair point. It’s why maintenance and pre-flight inspections are so important. Most of the time you jump in your car without a thought. I check the plane out every time. And not just the plane, the weather, the route, the destination and whatever air traffic control tells you.” Not true in every scenario, but enough of the truth to be reassuring, he hoped. “Come up here, you can ride shotgun.”

Sam slowly approached the front door, Sally beside her, tail wagging.

“Climb up here,” Jack showed her where to put her feet, “And move ... that’s it.” He leaned on her door and seat. “What do you think?”

“A lot more complicated than a car,” Sam observed.

Nodding, Jack agreed, “But I also have a lot more information than in a car. Which helps with the safety thing.”

“A-hmm,” Sam responded, biting her lip and looking around her. “When you’re in the air, doesn’t it feel ... flimsy?” She grimaced apologetically at the word, not wanting to insult.

“No, but ... maybe? I’m not nervous up there, so I don’t know if you’ll feel the same.” He put his hand on her knee and squeezed. “You know you never have to if you don’t want to, right?”

Sam nodded and Jack rubbed her thigh in response. “I think ... if I think about it too much it’ll be worse. Worse than I feel now. So.” Putting her hand over Jack’s she squeezed, “Let’s just do it.”

Curling his fingers around hers, Jack searched Sam’s face until she made eye contact. When she nodded and squeezed his hand again, he inclined his head to her. “Alright. Let me call in and run through the pre-flight. Lucky we’re parked at the front and I can just taxi us out.”

Sliding out of the cockpit, Sam crouched down a little away and pet Sally while Jack went through his routine. He exuded confidence, which reassured her, and a slow, unhurried meticulousness, which calmed her. Or perhaps it was Sally. Or maybe both together, the Carter-O’Neill trio was growing into a comfortable team.

When he was done, Jack walked over to her and Sally. “All good to go.” She took the hand he offered her, straightened and they walked the few yards to the plane hand in hand. “You and Sally won’t fit up front, so you can sit up front and her in back or both of you in back.”

“Well. Sally,” she turned to the dog, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m going to sit up front.”

She could feel Jack’s amusement as he took Sally’s lead from her fingers and scooped the dog into his arms. Settling her in the passenger seats, he clipped her in place. He shut the door and then turned to Sam. “If it’s a long flight she’ll usually sleep. But we probably won’t be up that long.”

He helped her into the co-pilot’s seat, showed her how to belt in and wear the headset. “It’ll protect your hearing as well as make it easier for us to talk to each other.”

Chatting to her all the way through taxiing, Jack kept cracking jokes and teasing, trying to reduce her anxiety. Before she knew it, they were cleared and in the air.

Jack talked her through it all and, about 15 minutes in, Sam found that she wasn’t as nervous or as tense as she feared. Looking back, she saw Sally relaxed on one of the rear seats and Jack reached over to squeeze her knee.

“How”re you doing?”

“Better than I thought I would,” Sam smiled back.

“I’d like to think that it was my charming presence.”

“A little. It’s different, very different from a big jet. And I can see you and know it’s ok.”

Jack turned and grinned at her. “Love you.”

She felt relaxed enough to tease him. “Glad we don’t have to break up, now.”

“Oh good, because I think Sally would want to go with you and I’d miss her a lot.”

Sam rolled her eyes and cautiously looked out the window.

“Focus on the distance, don’t look straight down until you’re more used to it.” Keeping her in his peripheral vision, Jack began pointing out landmarks, checking her frequently for any outward signs of panic.

When they reached the half hour mark, he judged that it was probably enough for a first flight and began returning to the airport.

Once back on the ground, with everything checked again and the plane ready to be towed into the hangar, Jack slid an arm around Sam’s shoulders. “Glad that went ok,” he told her, “And that we did it, today.”

“Glad because now we don’t have to tell Daniel that I don’t like flying?”

Jack guided them back to his truck. “He will like you. I like you and, in the end, that’s what he will care about most.”

“Hmm, not so sure about that, but I’m going to do my best. Should I let him win a game of Scrabble?”

“Nooooo,” Jack returned immediately, “He’ll figure out if you let him win. Play him fair and square, he’ll respect that.”

“He’s an interesting guy, this friend of yours. A real puzzle. I’m going to work it out, though. I like puzzles.”

Jack laughed as he opened the truck door for her. “Daniel would take that as a compliment. You two are going to be just fine.”


	24. Gypsy Girl

**Gypsy Girl**

Sam called ahead for Thai as Jack stopped at the airstrip office. It was a little early for dinner, but their eating schedule had been messed up all day and they were hungry enough to get an early start.

The clouds started gathering as they neared home and they managed to dash inside just as the first raindrops hit, Sally skittering on the smooth floor of the front hall. That had them both giggling and jostling each other like a couple of kids on the way to the kitchen.

“Table or couch?” Sam asked, hooking fingers into the handles of the takeout bag.

Jack showed her a beer from the fridge and Sam nodded. He leant back in to grab another. “Couch? We can watch the storm or TV. Whichever you prefer.”

“You think it’s going to be a good one?” Sam asked, heading to the lounge.

“Andy from the airstrip said it was heavy on the radar. Possibility of lightning.”

“How’s Sally with lightning and thunder?” Sam wondered as Jack joined her in the lounge.

“Not too bothered, unless it starts up suddenly overhead,” he answered, taking the box Sam offered him along with a pair of chopsticks. “I like watching them roll in.”

Sam twisted the cap off her beer. “What’s it like to fly in a storm?”

“I try to avoid it,” Jack told her. “It’s very intense to go through a storm in a small plane because you’re what keeps the plane stable, there’s no computer or autopilot to help. In all honesty, I don’t have enough experience for going through a storm like this one, so I try and stay out of the air.”

She considered the way he talked about his experience, how he knew his limitations. Not unlike the way she drove her car and she knew that bothered him. Yet she trusted her own skills because she knew where they began and finished. Jack seemed to feel the same way about flying.

“Did that help your anxiety or not?” Jack asked.

Leaning back in the couch, Sam smiled. “Helped. You know your skills, you’re not overconfident. That reassures me.”

“I’m glad.” He gave her one of those all intense looks that made her feel warm, loved and aroused.

As she brought her chopsticks to her mouth, Sam watched him. There was a strength in him that made her feel safe. Sure, it was probably a base instinct, but she liked that he was comfortable with her success, her independence and was still strong in himself and made her feel secure. Then there were his features, particularly Jack’s ready smile, his long, skilful fingers and moonlight hair. Any one of those things made her burn hotter.

Undeniably, he was in good shape for a man of any age, and yet he was easy with it, confident in his experience, not apologetic for the years that had seen him injure knee and back, nor for the long and, by all accounts, loving relationship with his ex-wife. Instead, they were parts of Jack that brought him to where he was now, and it was simply who he was. Sam didn’t believe in fate, or love at first sight, but she was thankful that she’d had the courage, or the good sense, to make a pass at him.

Jack caught her look, and the soft, distant smile on her face. He reached over with a thumb and brushed gently at her bottom lip. “You’re beautiful,” he told her.

Forming her lips into a kiss, she laid one against his thumb. “So are you.”

Hand smoothing along Sam’s cheek, Jack cupped the back of her neck and drew her close for a soft kiss. They lingered in one another, lips warm and soft, tongue teasing lightly until Sam broke off.

“I’ve never properly said thank you,” she told him, returning to her food.

“What for?” Jack wondered.

“Asking me out. Amazing sex. Falling in love with me. Wanting to be a part of my life. You pick,” she told him, looking up shyly at the end.

Jack returned her shy look. “I pick them all.”

“God damn, Jack O’Neill,” Sam cursed, feeling the flood of emotion he could draw from her. “Why has no one else snagged you until now?”

“Because I was waiting for you,” Jack replied, not even having to think about it. “Why has no one else snagged you until now?” Placing his take out on the coffee table, he turned towards her, taking Sam’s from her fingers and putting it beside the first.

“Ditto,” Sam replied as she stroked his face, a hand running through his hair. Meeting him for the offered kiss, Sam let it warm up until she was feeling a warmth settling against her spine and slowly creeping upwards. When Jack’s hand began exploring under her shirt, she slid backwards and got to her feet. “These will keep,” she noted, “Let’s go to bed.”

Jack reached for her hand. “Wait,” he urged. “I have an idea.”

Brushing her cheek as he passed, Jack disappeared down the hallway to the bedrooms, returning with all the comforters that he could find. Sam got the gist of his intent and pushed the coffee table to the side of the room, clearing a space on the floor in front of the doors leading out to the deck.

Jack disappeared again and Sam began layering up the comforters into a make shift mattress. Returning with a couple of pillows, three candles and a box of matches, Jack let the pillows fall to the floor before placing the candles around the room.

“Why do you have candles?” Sam asked, moving to gather up their abandoned dinner.

“Blackouts,” he answered easily.

She sniffed one as she passed. “Vanilla good in blackouts, is it?”

“Calming,” he responded as Sam disappeared to the kitchen with a laugh. She flicked the last of the lights off on her way back.

It was nearly dark outside, the storm having brought on twilight early. Jack was standing at the window, watching the storm clouds pass swiftly overhead. Sam slipped her arms around his waist from behind, burying her nose between his shoulder blades. Breathing deeply of his smell, a shiver ran down her spine as all her senses sharpened in him at once.

Fingers caressed the back of her hands, then her wrist and arms as she pressed herself behind him. Her slow, caressing fingers explored downwards, finding the belt at his waist, unbuckling it while she pressed kisses along his spine. Pressed against his back, Sam could feel the slow rise and fall of Jack’s breathing, not hurried, yet, just deeper than usual. The button at his waist released, then her fingers found the zipper and moved it slowly downwards.

Earlier, their sex had been hard and rough, Jack had played in her ass, getting them both off quickly. Late at night or early in the morning, their love making was often mutual, call and response, building each other up and ending sweetly together. Once or twice she had gladly submitted to his power, other times she liked to be on top and she knew he liked her that way, too.

Tonight, though, there was the raw energy from the storm and she could feel it building in her bones, filling her with desire. Tonight she felt a little wild, a little reckless and a whole lot daring.

Her hands smoothed along his hips and pushed down his pants, stroking over his underwear, pressing into his hips. Jack’s hands moved to help her push them down, but she stilled them, whispered, “Let me,” and continued, sliding her hands down his thighs, kneeling to tug them free from his legs, one at a time. As she rose, her hands retraced their path and when Sam slipped her arms around his waist again, his breathing was faster.

Wandering again, her hands stroked his waist, then down the outside of his thighs, dragging an upward path to his buttocks. She let her touch drag his boxers tight into the crack of his ass and then slid a fingertip down the path, pressing into him, skimming anus and dipping as low as she could reach. The touch elicited a moan and Jack stepped his feet further apart, allowing her to travel lower, massaging perineum and then cupping his balls from behind, squeezing them so slowly he didn’t know if it was tease or torture.

Surprised at himself, he moaned again and tried to turn towards her. Sam stopped his motion with a word and then slid herself around to his front, standing between him and the windowed door. Placing her hands flat on his chest, she lowered slowly into a kneel, hands running over his shirt, until she was on her knees before him and her face was level with the hard line of his cock, trapped in his boxers.

Leaning in close, she made as if to lick him, but pulled away, instead smelling him, millimetres from the fabric, close enough to feel the warmth and to drink in his scent - sweat, pungent incense and something almost sweet and undefinable, except as Jack. Opening her mouth, she let her warm breath wash over him, following his length. Jack rewarded her with a moan. Placing her palms against his thighs, she pressed her mouth against him, capturing his head between her lips, the fabric between her mouth and its target.

The grunt and responding twitch of hips made her insides hum, so Sam shared that with him, letting the wordless vibrations flow into him. She moved lower, repeating the action along his shaft, while one of her hands cupped his balls and rolled and squeezed them against her palm.

“Sam.”

Jack’s voice was soft, saying her name like a holy word, precious and adored. There was a responding swelling of emotion from her middle, warming her and making her wet. Nuzzling her way back to his head, she recaptured it with her mouth tonguing the sensitive spot below the tip.

A hand brushed her hair and she felt the tremble of his restraint. Jack held himself back from grasping her or from removing his underwear, letting her set the pace and the terms.

Dragging her nails from the back of his knees to the curve of his ass, she slowly tugged his underwear down by the hems, exposing his rear bit by bit. Once she could grasp his flesh, she slid her hands forward, disentangling his underwear and sliding them down his legs. Jack put his hands against the frame of the window and let her slide the underwear free from his feet. He kept the stance, supporting himself, ankles spread, and Sam returned her attention to the hot, silken skin of his erection.

“Gorgeous,” she murmured, her lips finding his tip and tonguing the slit, a steadying hand on his shaft. Applying all that she had learned about his preferences in the past two weeks, Sam used tongue and mouth, hands and lips to bring Jack to straining point. She licked the dribble of precum from him and looked up, finding his eyes dark and fixed on her. Holding his eyes, Sam let her thumb run up the underside of his shaft and then grinned as she swirled over his tip and he gave a deep, guttural grunt.

“I could finish this,” she offered, fingers working his erection again. His thigh trembled with the strain of holding back. Sam ran her hand firmly over his outer thigh, releasing some of the tension in his muscle.

“Whatever ... you wish,” he panted.

“Then I think I shall,” she replied and took him into her mouth, massaging his head with the heel of her tongue, her nails scraping over his sack, her other hand grasping his base firmly, thumb stroking the underside of his penis.

Jack sucked in a long breath above her and she held him with her tongue and hand, scraping and finding, letting her fingers creep back, caressing until she could feel the pucker of his anus. Letting her finger circle it until he cursed and she felt him draw up. Then Sam released him, rising to stand between his body and the glass window. The strain of almost release was plain on his face and she leant back against the door, watching his expression shift through pain, frustration, desperation and then despair.

“Oh god, Sam. Oh ... god,” he whimpered.

Sam reached for his jaw and caressed it with her fingertips. Turning his head into her hand, Jack kissed her palm and she let her touch linger against his face.

Behind her there was a flash and then the first roll of thunder, the storm still approaching.

“How’s it look?” Sam wondered. Jack was confused, his mind still more on his frustrated erection than the weather. “How’s the storm? Will we get thunder here?” She asked, again.

Jack raised his eyes to the storm and Sam turned between his arms, still braced against the door. The storm clouds were gray and green, a sure sign that it would be an intense one. Jack’s arms trembled beside her shoulders, still holding himself against the frame.

Sam stepped back into him, turning her head for a kiss. Jack met her lips, tongue hungry as he pressed his body into hers from chest to knees. Breaking the kiss, she turned back to the storm, Jack’s breath heavy in her ear, his hips rolling as he rubbed himself with minute thrusts against her pants.

“What do you need, my love?” She asked Jack, a tingle spreading outward from her sex at the thought of him wanton and near naked while she was still fully clothed.

His body dropped lower, knees bending into her thighs as he thrust upward, sliding himself against her ass. “I need two good knees so I can take you here, in front of the storm.”

That made her chuckle and she turned to nuzzle his cheek. “Maybe we could improvise.” Sam’s hand reached back to stroke his ass, thinking.

It took her a moment, but then she turned, kissing Jack’s willing mouth and grasping his hard shaft. “This way,” and she led him over to the couch. “Floor.”

Jack settled on the floor, legs out in front of him, back against the couch.

“Comfortable?” Sam asked. When he nodded, she quickly stripped, her clothes falling to the floor. Stepping over him, she remained standing, a foot either side of this thighs. “Touch me,” she invited, with the words that made his desire rage.

Fingers skimmed up her calves, circling the backs of her thighs and then grasping her behind, pulling her to Jack’s mouth. Sam let out a long, slow sigh as he nuzzled at her pubic hair, working his way lower with each touch until he could part her lips with his tongue.

Outside, the rain began. A few splashing drops became a torrent within a matter of moments, thunder rumbling on in concert with the flashes of lightning.

Bracing her knees against the couch, Sam leaned in to the support of Jack’s hands. With skilled sucks and licks, Jack coaxed her arousal to orgasm and she stilled over him as he took her to the brink. “Don’t stop. Don’t ...” The white hot sensation rushed through her and she trembled over him, his hands steadying her until it subsided.

When she could stand by herself again, Sam bent down and tasted herself on his lips, spreading her own juices on her chin. A sudden clap of thunder overhead woke Sally and Sam stood up straight.

“She’s alright,” Jack said, hands caressing her thighs. Sally gave the storm a warning woof and then was quiet again. “Good girl, Sal.”

Jack looked up at Sam, drawing her attention back to him with a drag of his nails on her calf. “Ride me?” He asked, a tiny sliver of his tightly reined need showing in his voice.

Sam’s mouth curled up in response. “As you wish,” and she turned, until she could also face the storm, and went down on her knees, straddling his thighs.

“Sam,” he whispered, holding himself as she spread her lips and guided him into her heat. Thighs tensing as Sam settled on him, Jack moaned as she took his full length, the soft curves of her behind settling against his hips.

Leaning her body back into his, Sam let Jack’s hands wander, caressing her breasts, teasing her nipples to tight points, then twisting them until her moans turned into tight hisses. When his teeth closed on the skin over her spine, she thrust forward into his hands and cried out, her sex contracting around him, making him bite down harder.

Jack felt the light, trembling wave flow through her and released the hold of his mouth, lips kissing across her neck as the butterfly contractions subsided. “I love making you come,” he whispered to Sam, one hand sliding from her breast to caress the tender skin of her stomach.

Sam gasped as the fingers moved to her clit, open and exposed by the spread of her knees. “Sensitive,” she warned Jack.

“Mhmm,” he acknowledged to the skin of her shoulder, dipping lower to brush where he entered her body, gathering up moisture and returning to Sam’s sensitive nub.

Sam grunted as Jack resumed stroking her clit, instinctively squirming away from his touch. A firm arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place as he continued.

“Still.” The word was a command, sudden and firm. Sam’s body reacted before her mind could process and her squirming stopped.

The sensation of Jack’s fingers between her lips, rubbing the skin below her clit was overwhelming, nearly painful, but there was something else building inside her and she shuddered. “Shit,” she dragged the word out, fighting her body, wanting to both spring away from his fingers and grind down on them, hard and painfully.

Jack’s hold on her waist was tight, leaving Sam no option but to let him strum at her, building a white hot pain centred under his fingers. Her breath came in shuddering gasps until he bit down on the curve of her shoulder.

Sam’s head snapped back in response, the arch of her back thrusting her even harder into his touch and she cried out as the orgasm took her. Her vision went white, as if the lightning had struck her, and Jack mercilessly continued the stimulation as she bucked and cried out, coming again and then again until he released her, both arms wrapping around her torso. Face buried in her neck, he murmured and gentled her until she moaned her appreciation.

With a final whimper, she turned until her lips met his skin and kissed Jack’s neck. “Fucking hell,” Sam whispered and then chuckled at herself.

There was a smile on Jack’s face when he pressed his lips to the skin of her shoulder, both hands cupping her breasts, fingers moving against her with no particular purpose. “Fucking hot,” he told Sam and she laughed.

Experimentally, she contracted her muscles around Jack’s penis. “Still with us,” she observed.

“After that?” He nibbled Sam’s skin. “I’d have to have been dead for a couple of hundred years.” Jack thrust upwards, just a little. “Got one more in you?”

“Can’t we just stay like this all night?” She whined.

Laughing, he ran his hands down to her feet. “I’m surprised you’re not numb already.”

Groaning with mock reluctance, Sam moved her weight forward, bracing her hands and the floor. The position gave both Jack and her some room to move. Caressing fingers returned to her hips and Jack pushed into her. Slowly, they worked into a rhythm, Jack supporting and thrusting, Sam rising and falling until she could feel an orgasm approaching.

“Harder,” Sam urged, and together they chased release. While Sam flicked at her clit, Jack helped her slam into him until his own climax approached.

“Gonna come. So fucking hard.” With a last thrust of his hips, Jack cried out her name, drawing it out as he announced his pleasure to the storm. Panting, Sam followed soon after, falling back against his chest.

His body heaved with the final effort of spending himself, and it took a long time before Jack could move. Coming slowly back to awareness, he found he hadn’t even noticed Sam rising from him and turning herself around, now cuddling chest to chest. With a trembling hand, Jack stroked Sam’s hair where her head rested on his shoulder.

“Again?” Sam asked and he knew she was teasing. She sounded as wrung out as he felt.

“I’ll need a few minutes.” He kissed her forehead.

“Just a catnap,” Sam yawned.

“Think you can make it to the blankets?” They hadn’t ended up using them in their storm driven frenzy.

Sam raised her head, “That’s an awful long way.”

“My bum is going numb,” Jack told her.

“Can’t have that,” Sam stretched and then, steadying herself on his shoulders rose, stumbled and then fell gracefully onto the blankets. “Gah, cold!”

“Jack to the rescue.” Rising up, he half crawled, half rolled beside Sam, and she snuggled into him, tugging at a spare blanket until he could help her cover them both.

“Damn,” she murmured.

“Hmm?”

“I have work, tomorrow.”

“Late shift,” he reminded her.

“I need to take some leave,” Sam mused. “Maybe next week?”

“Good idea.” Jack nuzzled her, yawning again. “You might need two weeks.”

“Why?”

“You’re not going to be able to walk after the first one.”

Sam laughed. “What about you?”

“I’ll just have a manly swagger.”

“You’re that sure about your abilities.”

“Gotta have goals, Sam.” Jack reached for her behind and gripped it firmly, “I’ll die a happy man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter!


	25. Our House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re here at the last chapter. I sincerely wish to thank you all for the love and support you have given me over the writing of this AU. I have grown so much as a writer in the past month and it is because of my very own ‘Best People’ - all you guys out there in the fandom.
> 
> I hope this brings the first part of Dr Sam, Veterinarian, to a satisfying close. I love this AU so much that I may well come back to it. 
> 
> However, there is a Travelers/SG-1 crossover, a humanitarian aid AU and an arranged marriage AU all in the planning stages. And, of course, Eyes on the Horizon (role swap) AU and The Space Between series in progress. Lastly, I intend to put a lot of work into Blue Ward in the hopes of submitting something for publication. 
> 
> Thank you to all of you for being here, reading, giving kudos and commenting. I appreciate every hit.
> 
> Lots of love, Sophie <3

**Our House**

Sam pulled into the driveway of their house, a Jeep she didn’t recognise parked next to Jack’s truck. She figured that it must be Daniel’s, Jack had told her he’d been there since mid-afternoon. Grabbing the bags of last minute groceries that Jack had asked her to stop for, she pushed the car door shut with her hip and crunched over the gravel to the front door.

Sally gave a bark from inside as she grabbed the doorknob and Sam had to stop to greet her before moving fully inside.

“Hey, I’ll just be a minute,” Jack called from the dining room.

Sam paused in the doorway on her way to the kitchen. “You guys keep working. I need to have a shower and change, anyway.” Having decided a few days ago to treat Daniel as if they were already firm friends, she addressed the sandy haired younger man with familiarity. “Hey Daniel. Good to see you. How’re things going?”

“Uh, fine thanks, Sam. We’re pretty excited to be getting started,” Daniel rose from his chair, hands fiddling awkwardly with his pen.

“I’m just going to change, but I’d love to hear more about it. Catch me up later?” Sam asked.

“Of course,” Daniel replied, tapping his pen on the papers spread out on the table. “We should start winding up anyhow,” he looked over at Jack. “Anything else on your mind tonight?”

Sam turned towards the kitchen and dropped off the groceries on the counter. She heard the conversation resume between Daniel and Jack while she headed to get changed.

Just as she finished brushing her hair out in their bathroom, Jack came in.

“You’re gorgeous,” he told her, slipping arms around her waist and pressing her into the vanity while kissing her neck.

Closing her eyes, Sam smiled. “Not that you aren’t wonderfully good with those lips, but we have guests arriving soon.” Pushing back, Sam turned in his arms and took a moment to show appreciation for his kisses.

“We could put a note on the front door,” Jack teased.

“And Daniel?”

“He can leave, or listen,” Jack grinned.

“Jack!” She admonished with mock scandal and then kissed him once more. “Food, friends,” Sam prodded, “I’ll be out in a minute.”

Muttering about indentured servitude and partnership entitlements, Jack left for the kitchen. Sam chuckled to herself, brushing her hair out again, now to remove the tangles from from Jack’s greeting.

Arriving in the kitchen a few minutes later, Sam found Daniel helping Jack prepare the vegetables for grilling.

“What can I help with?” She asked.

Jack looked over his shoulder, “Wash the salad and dress it?”

Sam found room at the sink and began finishing the salad. Jack and Daniel were discussing the politics of the various grant applications that they were preparing and Sam listened carefully, absorbing what she could.

Coming to the sink to wash his hands, Jack stood with his body against hers and kissed her hair before moving away again. When Sam needed a knife from the block in front of Jack, she braced her hand in the small of his back and reached past him, his fingers brushing her hip as she moved away.

None of the little touches and looks between them were lost on Daniel. He was surprised how much they acted like a couple who had been together for years, anticipating each other’s moves, conversing with just looks and touches. There was an ease in Jack’s demeanour that he could barely remember seeing. And, most of all, his friend hadn’t stopped smiling since Sam had walked in the door. Despite not knowing Sam at all well, he could see that she adored him, too.

When the knock at the front door came, Jack brushed Sam’s shoulder as Sally raced out of the kitchen. “I’ll get it.” As Jack left, Sam walked to the kitchen doorway and watched.

“Sal, sit,” he commanded and she mostly obeyed, although her butt wriggled with excitement.

Opening the door, Jack gave a warm welcome to Sam’s guests. “Janet, Cassie,” he looked between the two women. “Who is who?”

Sam laughed as Janet grasped Jack’s forearm and scolded him, “Don’t be ridiculous.” With the force of her personality, Janet tugged on Jack’s arm and he bent down so that the short brunette could put an arm around him and kiss his cheek. “So good to finally meet you,” she told him as he straightened up.

Less confident around strange men, Cassie smiled at Jack and reached out her hand. Jack shook it and gave her his knee melting smile. Sam was glad to see that she wasn’t the only one with weak knee joints as Cassie stumbled over what to say. “S’nice to see you again, Mr O’Neill.”

“Jack,” he immediately told her, “Come in.” Stepping back, he saw Sally, who had been waiting so well. “This is Sally,” he introduced her to Janet and at the sound of her name, Sally sprang out of her sit and approached Janet and Cass. They made a suitable fuss over her, which pleased Jack, and he shut the door as Sam came forward to give Janet and Cassie hugs and kisses.

They stopped by the kitchen to introduce them to Daniel and then Sam showed them around Jack’s house. The number of her items that had already found a home there surprised Janet.

“Moving in already?” She wondered.

Sam showed them out on to the deck, Sally coming with them. “My place is up for rent in three weeks.”

Janet’s eyes went wide and Cassie let out a soft squeal. “When’s the wedding?” Janet asked, joking.

“No wedding. Not yet,” Sam replied, barely containing her amusement at Janet’s reaction. “We’ve decided to wait until there’s a need or the time seems right.” Sam was tackled in a big hug from Cassie and she wrapped her arms around the teenager.

“When were you going to tell me?” Janet wanted to know.

“Right now. That’s why we asked you all over tonight.” Sam breathed out carefully, resolving not to feel guilty for leaving Janet out of the loop for a few days. “We’ve been working out the details, lining up realtors, movers. Well, Jack’s done most of that while I was at work.”

“Sammy ...”

“Janie ...” Sam echoed her friend’s tone. “What ...?”

Janet shook her head and then joined Sam and Cassie for a hug. “Just took me by surprise, is all. And it’s been fast.”

“Mom,” Cassie admonished her. “You told me on the way here that you’re glad Sam is finally getting a life.”

“Cass!” Both women said together and then laughed.

“Well, it’s true,” Cassie insisted. “You can’t be married to the clinic, Sam. You deserve someone special.”

Sam squeezed Cassie tightly. “You will always be my someone special, Cas-cas,” she affirmed, using the pet name she had given Cassie as a toddler.

“I know. But you need a someone special for sex, too, right?” Her grin was teasing. “Jack’s pretty hot. Is he good in bed?”

Janet rolled her eyes as Sam blushed and cleared her throat. “Yes,” she replied, then felt mortified at her answer. She reminded herself that Cassie was eighteen and of course she would want to talk about love and sex. “The sex is really good,” she tried not to blush, “But there’s more to it than that. He’s a good person and he fills up a part of me that the clinic doesn’t. So I guess I need him for that, too.”

“Good,” Cass declared and Sam felt Janet’s hand squeeze her shoulder.

“You’ll always be my family,” Sam told Cassie and Janet, kissing each of them. “I want Jack to be a part of our family, too.”

“He’s out if he messes with you.”

“Mom!” Cass scolded. “Be nice and share.”

Sam laughed. She knew there was an element of possessiveness in Janet’s manner and she understood it. They had been a team, a family, for a long time. “Just wait until you bring someone home, Cass.”

“Oh gods, I know. She’ll be unbearable.” Cass kissed her mom on the cheek. “Remember I had your back for Jack, alright?” She asked Sam in a stage whisper.

“I will. But they’re out if they mess with you.”

Janet scoffed and tried to smother her laugh as Cass pouted. “Well, see if I help you out with mom from now on.”

Sam knew that tone all too well and could tell that Cass wasn’t serious. Feeling a familiar thump on her toes, Sam extracted herself from Janet and Cassie’s embrace and picked up the ball Sally had dropped on her foot. She threw it and Sally raced after as Jack came out with Daniel, carrying seasoned steaks, the vegetable skewers and BBQ tools between them.

Sam left Cassie and Janet throwing the ball for Sally and went inside, getting drinks for the three women. The fridge door was closing as Daniel brought in the empty plate from the raw steak and grabbed a clean one from the bench.

“Hey,” he said to Sam, pushing up his glasses. “I just wanted to, uh, apologise, for last week.”

Sam uncorked the bottle of wine and poured two glasses. “Want some?” She asked Daniel. He shook his head. “I’m not worried about it,” she replied to him. “So I don’t want you to be. I just want a chance to get to know you better.”

“Yeah,” Daniel agreed. “That’s what I want, too. I ...” He trailed off, eyes roving over the kitchen.

Leaning against the counter, Sam waited as Daniel tried to decide whether he should say what was on his mind.

“I didn’t realise ...” he stopped, again. “You’re good for him,” Daniel finally told Sam, meeting her eyes. “I can’t remember seeing him this happy.”

Sam nodded. “He’s good for me, too. If you asked Janet, she would probably tell you that Jack’s had the same effect on me.”

Daniel went on, an interesting touch of enthusiasm for Jack’s qualities in his demeanour. “Jack’s a great guy, solid as a rock and he’s a gentleman. He’s a catch, Sam.”

Picking up her glass of wine, Sam found herself considering again if Daniel had, or may have once had, a thing for Jack. “I know, Daniel,” she wanted to reassure him. “I hope that I can always do right by him.” Reflecting on the conversation that she had had with Janet and Cassie, Sam added, “I need something more in my life than my work. So does Jack. We fill up the empty parts of each other. And the sex is great.”

Head snapping straight and eyes going wide, Daniel appeared to be completely at a loss for words, which Sam suspected was an unaccustomed sensation for him. Then he let out a sigh and Sam felt a great deal of understanding in his expression and the words that followed. “We all deserve to have that. Jack especially. He’s a good guy,” Daniel repeated.

“The best,” Sam agreed and shared a knowing smile with Daniel. She had Janet. Jack had Daniel. Both of them had had relationships without fully realising what those relationships meant to their friends. “I just want to be a part of your family, Daniel. I don’t want to replace you.”

The awkwardness lingered until Jack yelled from the deck.

“I need that plate, Danny!”

“Coming!” Sam pushed off the counter and met Daniel’s eyes again.

“Yeah,” Daniel replied. “I need more family.”

Sam moved to hug him and they embraced briefly. “Me too.” She broke away and began heading out to the deck. “Do you have time to tell me about your first project?”

Nodding, more comfortable now that he didn’t have to look Sam in the eye, Daniel began telling her about the work that he and Jack had coming up.

Over dinner, things between them all began to ease. Cassie was also interested in Daniel’s knowledge of the Native American Reserves and Nations and she kept up a stream of questions that had him occupied through the meal and into desert. Janet found herself discussing dog training with Jack and then flying, her dad had been an Airforce pilot.

Sam met Jack in the kitchen as they were loading the dishwasher. Janet, Cassie and Daniel were setting up for a game of Scrabble. Abandoning the dirty dishes, Sam wrapped her arms around Jack and pulled him down for a long, intense kiss. It helped to relieve some of the tension she felt and it seemed to help Jack, too.

“Going ok?” She asked him.

“Mhmm,” he replied, pressing his forehead to hers. “Daniel seems more at ease.”

“He’s getting used to the idea. And he told me that I make you happy.”

“He did?” Jack’s voice rose in surprise, “When?”

“Before dinner. Janet’s reaction was similar, too.”

“That I make you happy?” Jack wondered.

“That, and she knows I’m moving in and renting out my place.”

“Surprised her?” Jack wondered, brushing a stray hair from Sam’s face.

“Yes. Or maybe she’s just mad that I waited until tonight to tell her.”

Jack laughed and nuzzled her hair. “Maybe we should set them up, together.”

“Oh gods, no,” Sam answered, horrified. “Can you imagine the two of them on our case?”

“Yes, but then imagine how much we could get on theirs.”

It was tempting, but Sam decided she’d leave thinking about it until later. “Let’s get us sorted first,” she told him as she tucked her face into his neck.

“Are you two ever coming out?” Janet yelled from the living room.

Bending down, Jack pressed his lips to Sam’s, tongue sliding into her willing mouth, revelling in holding her close and sharing his happiness with her. When he pulled away, he brushed his nose along hers. “Love you, Sam Carter.”

Sam purred, stroking his silver hair. “Love you, Jack O’Neill.”

From the kitchen doorway, there was a sarcastic snort. “When you’re done, we’re ready,” Cassie prompted, before returning to the living room, announcing loud enough for all to hear, “They’re just sucking face, but I told them to get a move on.”

The identical, surprised laughs from Daniel and Janet made Jack and Sam grin.

“We might not need to do any setting up,” Sam observed.

“They’ll be happier if they think it’s their idea,” Jack agreed and kissed Sam again before allowing himself to be dragged out of the kitchen.

“Come and let me whoop your ass,” Sam told him.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack replied, following her with an adoring grin.


End file.
